734: APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Deposition of James W. Grew. 



State of California, City and County of San Francisco. 



James W. Crew, of Port Orford, iu the State of Oregon, being duly- 

 sworn, deposes and says: 



1. I am now residing in San Francisco, in the State of California,. 

 and am a seal-hunter by occupation, and have been continuously 

 engaged in seal and otter hunting since 1886. 



2. Have hunted along the coast from Monterey to the Pribyloff 

 Islands, and also on the Japanese coast and off the Commander Islands. 



3. In 1880 I was in the " Sylvia Handy," and our catch was between 

 1,800 and 2,000, of which between 300 and 400 were got on the coast; 

 my individual catch I cannot now tell, but it was over 300. In 1887 in 

 the same vessel the total catch was between 1,000 and 1,700 skins, of 

 which about 300 were got along the coast, the balance being taken 

 in Behring Sea, where we were seized. My personal catch that year 

 was 000 skins. In 1888 1 was otter-hunting in the " City of San Diego," 

 but incidentally got a few seals along the coast — about 300 or 400. In 

 1889 I was again in the "City of San Diego," and was otter-huntiug 

 but we got about something over 100 seals. In 1890 I was master of 

 the " City of San Diego," and was again otter-hunting altogether. 

 In 1891 I was in the "Emma and Louisa," but was taken sick in the 

 early part of the season and obliged to return home. This year I was 

 in the "Kate and Anna," of this port, and sealed all the way from 

 39° north latitude on the Japanese coast up to the vicinity of the Com- 

 mander Islands. The vessel's take was 1,400, of which I got 004. 



4. I always hunt with shot-gun and rifle, but principally with the 

 former, and the range at which they are mostly got is from 10 to 30 

 yards. I never paid any attention to the number I lost from sinking, 

 but it must have been very small, not over thirty for the season, and I 

 would place 5 per cent, as the iirobable loss of seals that are shot and 

 sink. 



5. I think I get more females than males, and would place it from 

 60 to 70 per cent, on this coast, and it is about tlie same on the Japan 

 side. 



0. Seals generally travel in schools, and at such times are harder to 

 get. Schools are mixed as to sex and age, and in schools or otherwise 

 every seal is his own leader. 



7. Most of the cows are carrying j^up when going up the coast, but 

 I have also got a great many barren cows. 



8. I think the greatest part of the cows got in Behring Sea are in 

 milk, and I have got them a long distance from the rookeries. 



9. In crossing from the Russian side to San Francisco, and following 

 a course bringing us south of the Aleutian Islands, about the month 

 of September I have seen straggling seals all the way across until we 



reached 150° west longitude. 

 134 10. I saw as many seals this year as I have ever seen, and I 



cannot notice that they are decreasing. 



11. Nothing has been paid me, nor have I been promised anything,, 

 for making this statement, which I have read over and lind correct. 



12. In order to secure the protection of the seals, in my opinion,, 

 sealing should be altogether stopped in Behring Sea, and no killing 

 allowed at the rookeries, and there would then be no danger of exter- 

 minating the seals. 



(Signed) J. W. Chew.. 



