The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-29
BIRTH OF FUR SEALS.
Judge Swan Insists that the Lit
tie Ones Can Swim.
MEAN BAY FULL OF PUPS.
Old Hunters Deny That the Pribiiof
Islands Are the Only Cradle OF
the Seaiskfn Race.

PoRr TOWNSEND, Jan. 25.-In the Posr-
IsTELLIe EscER of the oath is letter from
Henry w. Elliot in which he asks, 'sWill
any reader of the PosT-IsTELLIeEScEa
come forward and declare that he has seen
fur seal pups born in the open waters Of
the sea? James G. Swan first states, in
1880. that he has personal knowledge of its
being so,n etc. In 1880 I was assigned by
Professor Baird the duty of reporting upon
the fisheries of Cape Flattery. was then
residing at Neah bay as an inspector OF
customs, and had plenty of leisure to at
tend to that duty. 1 had resided from 1851 TO
1896 at Neah bay in the employ of the In
dian agency, and have lived there IN all
nearly sixteen years. and all that time was
making collections and reports for the
Smithsonian Institution. Mr.. Elliott was
employed in 1880 by the Smithsonian In
stitution on the Pribilof islands. We were
great ways apart, but seem to have come
together recently with clash. Mr. Elliott
is evidently much excited.
1t is a well-known fact that at the close
of the season there are plenty of little pups
at Neah bay. The question is, Where do
thew come from? This is question that
should be settled scientifically by careful
ton. The fact that those little pups are
seen and taken each year by the Neah bay
Indians is beyond dispute, and vet Mr.. e.
lott says that pups will ''sink like a stone"
and has continued TO reiterate this asser-
ton in most vicious manner every year
for the past twenty years.
In his work on fur seals. published by the
Smithsonian Institution in 1883. Mr.. Elliott
q u IL,
manly manner because | had dared TO
mention, in my correspondence with Pro-
fessor Baird, about the pups at Neah bay.
] resented this impertinence, and Professor
Baird requested me TO make another report,
which did, and this last report was pub
Ished in the Bulletin of the United States
Fish Commission, volume 3, 1888. In that
report give the statements of twelve wit
nesses, and among others that of Captain
Elijah III. McAlmond, of Dungeness, at that
time owner and commander OF scaling
schooner Champion.
On pages 203-4 of this volume may be
found Captain McAlmond's statement,
which will answer MIR. Elliott's pompous
inquiry, eff any reader OF the PosT-lSTEL-
LIGEscER has seen fur seal pups born in the
open water?" Captain McAlmond says;
I'm the latter part OF June, loS2, White
cruising forty or fifty miles off Cape Flat
terry about southwest, saw thick bed of
kelp, about which fur seal were playing. |
noticed one in particular, a female, on this
bed of kelp. Her actions indicated that
she was about to give birth to a pup, as she
paid no attention to US, but kept moving
about as il she was making a bed. After
while sent a canoe and the Indian killed
the seal and brought it on board. On
opening It the young pup was taken out
alive and il travelled about the deck, raising
itself on its fore hippers and making bleat-
ingcry. 1t was perfectly formed and there
was every evidence from the appearance of
both the mother and the maturity of the
pup that it would have been born on that
bed of kelp in very short time if we had
carried the pup ashore, where | saw it