894 APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
Every port on the Pacific coast, from San Francisco to Victoria, appeared to have 
sent out its quota, and on the day the ‘‘Otto” left the latter place it was stated that 
fifty-three schooners were already on their way to the famous sealing grounds from 
that port. The ‘ Victorian Colonist” gave the names and owners of that number, 
although I afterwards found out there were over eighty-nine sealers in the sea this 
Fear. 
d It is hard to explain this large increase, in the face of both the American and 
British Governments proclaiming a close season. One reason given was that neither 
the Americans nor British cruizers intended to interfere, and that the Proclamation 
and sending of men-of-war to the sea were only done to satisfy the American public. 
Another reason is a most unaccountable one. Somehow the rumour gained currency 
that a bounty or compensation will be paid to the owner of every schooner that is 
stopped from sealing. 
* * * * * * * 
The Indians, with their spears, did not lose more than 1 per cent. of what they hit, 
as the fact of losing their game meant losing their harpoon and line as well. On the 
other hand, the Indians complained that the White hunters with their guns had 
scared the seals from the coast of the islands, and that they lose at the very least 
20 per cent. of what they shoot and kill or wound, to eventually die. ‘‘A few years 
ago,” said the Father, ‘‘the Chuckelset Indians caught over 1,600 seals off the coast 
of the island in their canoes, but they cannot do that now. The guns of the White 
hunters have scared them all away. 
“The seal,” said Father Brabant, ‘‘is a most intelligent animal; they even wake 
the sleepers when they see danger approaching, and there is no doubt they have left 
our coast owing to theguns. Why, the Indians themselves used to have a law against 
the use of guns. Another thing that I cannot see the equity of,” said the Father, 
‘is that the American Company have been allowed 7,500 skins this year for the 
support of their Indians. If the Aleuts are to be supported, why should the Van- 
couver Indians be debarred from their chief source of livelihood. The Aleuts, 
as a fact, do not require the Company to look after them. If they were left 
119 alone on their own islands, instead of being moved about as they are, they 
could hunt for themselves.” 
Father Brabant said he hardly knew how the future extermination of the seals 
was to be prevented, unless the two Governments were to take sealing under their 
supervision; that is, provided the Behring’s Sea was not a closed sea. They could 
license sealers, restrict them as to the number of seals caught, and make a close 
season during the breeding time, as there was no doubt that large numbers of females 
bearing young were killed. 
* x * * * * * 
Wednesday, the 26th August, was a good sealing day, and I was for some hours out 
in the Indian canoe. The result of the day’s work gives a fair example of the fright- 
ful percentage of seals that are killed and never recovered. The two boats and the 
canoe started out early in the forenoon and returned at six. The captain had one 
seal and had _ lost six others, either killed or wounded. Phillip, who was doing the 
shooting in the other boat, said that they had got up on to no less than seven seals 
and shot them, but they had all sunk. The men said the water was covered with 
blood, but they could not get the animals. 
The two Indians, who used nothing but the spear, returned with ten. They had 
missed fifteen or twenty, but, as one of them philosophically remarked to the captain, 
“Tt does not matter, they are not hurt like with the gun, or killed, and they will do 
for another day or year.” We managed to take sights this day, and found we were 
75 miles west by north of the voleanoes on the peninsula. On the 27th and 28th 
August very little was done, as the weather was too rough for the boats to go out. 
Three seals were captured in the forenoon of the 27th before it came on to blow, 
when we were once again under storm trysail and double reefed foresail. 
On the following day, the 28th, the boats were out all day and returned without 
catching anything, the captain thinking we were too far to the northward and east- 
ward. He said he wanted the wind to get to the west. On the next day the boats 
were out the greater part of the day, and our catch for the day was seventeen seals. 
The captain brought in three, having lost four, killed or wounded. The other boat 
brought in three, having killed five, and the Indians ten, making a total of seventeen. 
During the skinning of the seals on deck, which is always done at night after the 
boats return, the schooner’s decks were covered on this occasion, as on many pre=. 
vious ones, not only with blood, but with large quantities of milk, showing that 
many seals that had been killed were nourishing their young at the time, the result 
being that the pups on the island would starve for want of nursing, as no seal will 
feed any young ones except her own. 
* * * * * * ¥* 
HOW TO SAVE THE SEAL: A PLAN TO PREVENT ITS EXTERMINATION IN THE NEAR 
fUTURE.—At present the question of whether Behring’s Sea is open waters or not is 
