The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-01
Gals SWIM AT BIRTH
ludee Swan Presents Affidavits
Of Experienced Hunters.
.por. ELLIOTT coNTRADlcTED.
= .s.nce That the Bering Sea Commits
don VIII Have to Meet-Purpose
OF the Pribilof Myth.

- a. 10 the visible supply OIL seals dur
tbe coming spring. This commission,
- expected, will be agreed upon in
lad time, and it is the intention to pro-
ca II once to Bering sea, so that the in
,sdigation may be completed before the
,,.uiug season. Professor Elliott is we'll
afrmed as to the existing conditions,
81 he is confident that. the COM
.ssiou will lind the facts~as he has
|scrssented them to the state department.
II does not want TO create any prejudice
!, favor of his own position, and would
r,fsr to keep away from the expedition,
t,sjpe the representatives of the two gov
snmerts to investigate for themselves. A
~ az the mission which took him to
hnug sea last season is not yet COM
ssted. This is the investigatio of certain
sths Aleutian islands with reference TO
4, supply OF otter. He wants to do this
|ssrk this summer.
poEr TOWNSEND, Jan. 3l.-[Special. l.
N addition 70 the statement of Captain
IL Il. McAlmond, relative TO seals having
INNS on kelp beds. which was published
II nv report in 1883, III the bulletin of the
|Tpjted States fish commission, as referred
n IN NV article in the observation-disclosures
lathe 9th, find the following among my
,sps taken in 1883, which has not before.
mn published.
\ While in Victoria, B. c., October 80,
N1Ss met Mr.. A. Wesley Huson, then
rsaing at Alert Bay, Cormorant island,
N9C. Mr.. Huson had been trader many
Insss, and told me as follows:
during the years 1915 | resided at Nawittl,
Utripg trading post at that place, or, as it is
rsnfd Hope island on the north end of Van
nryer island. In March and April Of that
#fneI saw, on kelp patch off the north end of
NtAKsnd, great number of fur seals congre-
Iras number of the little pups got strayed
,ny from their mothers and drifted on the
tzfh / caught a number of them and my
IRE took one home, where she cared for il, and
Xissd quite while, and became pet with us.
H1E Indians of Sawitti said the seals had their
signed 4. W. Husos.
And yet Mr.. Elliott says the pups will
ok like stone. Mr.. Huson is a man of
tA&yation and a reliable man. / pur-
dred from Mr.. Huson at Alert bay the
veanoe which sent TO the Philadelphia
imtennial, which is now in the National
Naa9um at Washington City. He has
ssn long time among the Indians trad
sg for sealskins and other articles of COM
sree, and he knows what he testifies to.
The following are of recent date.
worn statement of Captain Harry Martin,
ithe schooner Spencer T. Baird, wrecked
gar Kadiak island during the summer of
No.
larry Martin, being first duly sworn. deposes
% @ys: Ny name is Harry Martin. ! was
4gisin and owner of the American schooner
,sneer F. Baird, of Port Townsend, state of
Darlington. During the years 1889 and 1890
Mengaged IN the waters of Alaska fishing,
zlng and prospecting. During that time was
arrested In the study OF the habits of fur seals,
hye seen the pups OF fur seals taken from the
mp Of the mother that SWAN as soon as
|seed IN the water. ] have seen these fur seal
~ n the water swimming with the general
'd o. seals from July Ii. or thereabouts, till
SsusI 2. 1870 These pups were from the size
little things, apparently few days old, TO
more mature pups OF years age. have
q % many pups, taken from the womb of the
snef, VINO did swim as soon an placed in the
st, that laFsert the statement that fur seal
n VIII sink Ike stone is untrue.
isgnedl HARRY MARTIN.
sEofn aud subscribed to before me this 9th
o. January, A. d. lsei
JAMES G.. SWAN.
United States Commissioner.
And yet Mr. Elliott says the pups will
PIX like stone.
ssorn statement of Captain Robert
Lavender of stealing schooner Henry
4nnis:
tevnng the summer OF 1890 was in command
" schooner Henry Dennis, at that time be-
we 70 Salem man, now of Seattle, Wash.
pa1 the FIRST OF June We were in the North Pa
" veal, near kadak island. We were en-
50 u sealing One of our men shot seal
-. es.f~ 10. l.
9 board and put it on the deck. II began to
y ABOUT and bleat and made so much noise
: . ! lao the men To throw it overheard. think
q would sink like a stone, but IL did not 1t
W aongside and cried so TO be taken on
~ lnst ordered il shot. which was done.
n sAlerienoe With seals Is that when the great
= - 81 are Bound north in the spring the largest
n ~ ~ iarthest out from shore. Between them
ny shoFe are the female seals, and close in
~ elt tne pups, which are so plenty along
uAss about Neah bay and the Straits OF
Inc assertion that seal pup will sink
s sons Is known TO every sealer to be false.
= s.sasueo.l X. O. LAVENDER
x'sefn aud subscribed TO before me this DIST
@'sauary, \. D. 1891. JAMES G. SWAN,
L., United States Commissioner
s l.. yet Mr. Elliott says the pups will
Ike stone.
worn Statement of Thomas Osgood, re-
ag 10 fur seals:
vas on board the schooner Henry Dennis
,ssaa,aer as one OF the hunters. | have read
$50 49, lavender statement and ! can zorro
eM killed the seal mentioned and cut
NV OUT myself, and took il on board the |
~ aad laid II down on the deck. lt |
~ along with its hippers and began to cry.
! - y much noise, hleating like a young
u way ihe captain ordered IL thrown over |
hulu not sink, but swan alongside the |
= - .saAliig such noise that il was annoying
: rasa vas Killed by the captain orders |
~ - ~, pap taken from the mother before this
EtsfAf liz col
- weeks and fed IL on condensed milk. |
.sa ueh accustomed to the habits of fur |
saa ,ape flattery for more than twenty |
saa KNOW from my own observation |
Il 1iss seal pup will not sink. any more than |
slgnedl TVoN,s osaoon
~ ~ q and subscribed before me this DIST |
~sahaary. \. D., 1891.
JAMES G. SWAN.
United states Commissioner.
= SUI Mr.. Elliott says fur seal pup
wax Ike stone.
n = oest naval authority in Port Town |
= TIE port admiral. and he says that |
u ,sgne which seal pup resembles in its |
NaAing qualities is pumice stone | |
see hundreds of similar aifidavits. |
- those already published, but need |
e Mr.. Elliott does not deign TO .
- one single witness TO his ott-rc- |
~, s9enty years assertion that a seal |
~ snk like 4 stone, bat contents |
- y asking if any one ever saw a
~ oorn IN the water. He has acted |
< ay years as a self-appointed ac- |
- and dry nurse for the seal pups |
~ iaats island, and now wants 10 !
.Ane one TO act as wet nurse for the !
- OF Cape Fiattery. His romances |
sslltsely amusing.
S Lamb, in his Essays OF Ella"
a pleasant account in The Old |
hoy OF character very much |
Eshot. Ella and his cousin were /
Margate for the benent of the sea /
were "unSophlsticated London |
among the passengers was one |
~ discourse in verify might have be- /
"hger voyage than we meditated. |