230 FUR-SEAL J^ISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



about 100 mileb. About 60 or 75 miles southeast of St. George appears 

 to be the principal reutlezvous of vessels cruising iu Bering Sea for tbe 

 j)urpose of taking seals in the water. 



Q. In what manner do they take them ? — A. They are furnished with 

 boats, the number varying according to the size of the vessel and the 

 number of the crew. In most of the British vessels the crew consists 

 of about thirty or thirty-five men. There are about five white men on 

 each vessel and the remainder of the crew are Indians. The Indians go 

 out in the canoes, two Indians iu each canoe. They shoot the seals with 

 shot-guns or spear them. They sometimes go quite a distance from the 

 vessel. I have seeu canoes 8 or 10 miles from their vessel. They go 

 out in different directions and thus cover a large surface of the sea. A 

 vessel with fifteen canoes can cover a surface of the sea pretty well 

 for 12 miles iu every direction from the vessel, aud any seal coming 

 within that surface stands a pretty poor chance of getting away, as 

 the Indians are very expert iu taking them. 



Q. Why do they go to that particular locality ? Is that the feeding- 

 ground ? — A. They pass this locality in going to the feeding-ground 

 nearer the Aleutian Islands. I understand the seal lives on fish. 



Q. The hunters intercept the seals constantly as they go to and from 

 the islands ? — A. Yes, sir ; that is what I understand. 



Q. Do you have any opinion as to the probable extent of the destruc- 

 tion of seals by these unlawful hunters ? — A. During the season of 1887 

 I estimated that they killed about 40,000 seals and would have taken 

 20,000 more had no seizures been made. We captured fifteen vessels 

 on board of which we found about 12,000 skins. Some of the vessels 

 captured early iu the season had taken only a few skins. The number 

 varied from 150 to 1,500 skins on each vessel. 



Q. You estimate the destruction of seals, then, at 40,000? — A. Yes, 

 sir ; for thai season. 



Q. From the number of skins taken you estimated the number 

 killed ? — A. That season I know there were thirty-hve vessels in the 

 sea, and we captured fifteen vessels. The catches of the vessels were 

 published iu the papers when they arrived home aud averaged from 

 1,000 to 2,500 skins each. 



Q. You estimate, then, that during the season, 40,000 skins were 

 taken "? In killing them in the open sea they do not recover every seal 

 they kill ! — A. No, sir ; I do not think they do. In fact, I know they do 

 not, judging from the amount of shot and lead taken from the seals that 

 are afterwards killed on St. Paul and St. George Islands. 



Q. So that the destruction of the seals in the open sea would be 

 much iu excess of the number taken, probably f — A. I have no very ac- 

 curate information on which to base an opinion, but I should judge that 

 they lost from 40 to GO per cent, of them. I saw a good many shot from 

 the boats as I was approaching, and think they lost two or three out of 

 five or six that I saw them shoot at. 



Q. From your observations have you any recommendations or sug- 

 gestions to ofler, the adoption of which would lead to the better preserva 

 tion of seal life in these waters than is now provided by law ? — A. There 

 is a difference of opinion as to the construction of the law. I firmly 

 believe that the Government should either protect the islands and water 

 in the eastern half of Bering Sea or throw up their interest there. If 

 the Bering Sea is to be regarded as open for vessels to go in and 

 capture seals in the water, they would be exterminated in a short time. 



Q. You think the mere protection of the rookeries upon the islands 

 will fail to preserve the seal unless protection is extended to Bering 



