744 APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Declaration of Hit-Ritli^ of San Juan, in Vancouver Island, commonly 



called ^^ Peter. ''^ 



Dominion of Canada, Frovince of British Golumhia, 



I, Hit-Hitli, of San Juan, Yaucouver Island, commonly called " Peter," 

 do solemnly declare as follows : 



1. I am a policeman for tlie village, Laving be.en appointed by tlie 

 Indian Agent for the District. 



2. I am about 35 years of age, and have hunted seal ever since I was 

 a boy; that is for fully twenty years. 



3. Have hunted seals both in camoefrom shore and also from schoon- 

 ers. When first went hunting seals was too young to handle a spear, 

 but went along to steer a canoe. 



4. In hunting for seals off the coast of Vancouver Island the natives 

 always used a spear previous to two years ago, but since that time they 

 have also used a gun. 



5. Two men go out in a canoe, and the man in the bow does the shoot- 

 ing or spearing. 



0. In using a spear, if a vseal is missed it gets away without being 

 frightened, but the guns scare them, and for that reason the natives 

 prefer to use the spear. 



7. Natives who use a spear never lose one they hit, but using a gun, 

 if we shoot three at one time, two would likely be lost, as they would 

 sink very quickly. 



8. There are just as many seals along the coast now as when I first 

 began to hunt, but they are found further off shore. About Christmas 

 time they come into Barclay Sound on this coast amongst the islands 

 there, and are seen in great numbers following the run of herring. 



10. We get more females than males, and the fornaer are always with 

 pup. I notice no difference in this respect during all the time I have 

 been hunting. 



11. I have noticed that when the herring is x^lentiful on the Halibut 

 Banks the seals are more numerous than when the feed is scarce, but 

 of late, since the white hunters have taken to hunting with guns, they 

 have driven the seals farther off shore, therefore we have been com- 

 pelled to hunt them from schooners ourselves. 



12. I have never hunted in Behring Sea but always off the coast, 

 formerly from 10 to 15 miles, and now from 30 to 50 miles. 



141 13. We commence hunting about Christmas time, which is the 



time seals first appear on the coast, and they are here for about 

 six months, but we only hunt them for about three months. 



14. We do not do any hunting now in canoes from shore. 



15. About ten years ago a canoe manned by two natives would take 

 from 10 to 16 seals each day, but now, hunting from the schooners, 

 4 a-day would be doing well. This is because the white hunters have 

 made them wild by shooting them. 



16. Have never heard or known of seals hauling out any place on 

 this coast. 



And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the 

 same to be true, and by virtue of '*The Act respecting Extra- Judicial 

 Oaths." 



(Signed) Hit-Hitli (or Peter), his x mark. 



Witnesses : 

 (Signed) A. D. Laing, 



John T. Walburn. 



