APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 719 



the school, and in the schools we find the sexes and ages all mixed. 

 When going north to the islands there seem to be more males among 

 the seals the farther north we go. 



7. I do not think there is any ditference now in the number of seals I 

 see than when I first began hunting, though they are wilder and harder 

 to get at. 



8. In 1890 our catch was 636 seals along the coast, and in the Behriug 

 Sea between 1,800 and 1,900. 



9. In 1891 our catch was 400 altogether along the coast, and we got 

 none in the Sea, as we were warned out. 



10. This year (1892) along the coast we got 366. 



11. Along the coast in 1890, 70 per cent, were females, and the next 

 year about the same. This year, however, they were divided about half 

 and half. In Behriug Sea the majority taken were bulls. 



12. Along the coast the cows for the most part are carrying young, 

 while in the Sea they are in milk. Have got some barren cows that 

 had neitlier pup nor milk. 



13. The farthest I have got cows in milk from the islands was from 

 80 to 90 miles. 



14. I have not heard of any vessels having got seals in Behring Sea 

 this year other than those seized or warned, and I think I would have 

 heard of it if there had been any. 



15. I think some protection should be given the seals, but any close 

 season made should apply to the Pribyloff Islands as well as to pelagic 

 sealing. 



16. I have not been paid anything, nor has anything been promised 

 me, for consideration of making the foregoing statement, which I have 

 read over and found correct. 



(Signed) John Worth. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 28th day of November, 1892. 

 [seal.] (Signed) Lincoln Sonntag, Notary Fuhlic. 



Deposition of William O'Lear Shafter. 



State of California, City and County of San Francisco. 



William O'Lear Shafter, of San Francisco, being duly sworn, deposes 

 as follows : 



1. That I am a seal and sea-otter hunter, and have hunted seal for 

 eight years on this coast and in the Behring Sea, and have been in the 

 "Laura," "Otter," "Alexander," "San Jose," "Sylvia Handy," "0. H. 

 White," "Henry Dennis," and the "Emma and Louisa." 



2. In 1883, in the "Laura," we were hunting sea-lion princii)ally, but 

 also got fur-seal and sea-otter. In 1886, in the "Otter,/' we hunted till 

 March along the coast, and the schooner's catch was 653, of which I 

 got 180. In 1887 I was in the " San Jose," and we were seized in Beh- 

 ring Sea. The total catch was about 1,400, of which I got 402, but 

 cannot separate the coast from the sea catch. In 1888, on the "Alex- 

 ander," we got only 104 seals on the coast (when we Avent otter-hunt- 

 ing), of which I got 43 seals. In 1889, in the " Sylvia Handy," the total 

 catch was about 600, when we went otter-hunting, of which I got about 

 130. In 1890 I was in the "0. H. White," and did no seal-hunting to 

 spe.ik of. In 1891 I Avas in the "Henry Dennis" on the coast and 

 Asiatic side; we got a total catch of about 1,083, of which I got 151. 



