The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-20
sealing can say that not over six in every
100 seals killed by white hunters are lost or

IV SEALS killed. Dy Wnlte hunters are lOSt OF
escape.
Experienced hunters seldom lose a seal;
the losses are chiefly made by inexperi-
enced hunters, only few of whom are en-
ployed, for the reason that as hunters are
paid 80 much q skin, inferior men cannot
make good wages have noticed no dim
mutton in the number of seals during the
twenty years have been in the business.
but If any change at all, an increase. OF
half are females, and of the females not
more than one-half are with young. In
Bering sea not one in one hundred of those
taken by the hunters are females with
young, because as soon as the females
carrying their young get into the sea they
go to the breeding islands or rookeries,
and In few days their young are born.
The cows remain with their young until
they are quite able to take care of them
selves. l do not think that out of the
seals taken by Indian and white hunters
more than 80 per cent. are females actually
breeding or capable Of breeding. :,
ea snd b.9so sGS make sSa
great majority. Cows actually breeding
are very watchful, and while on the voy-
age northward are ever on the alert, so
that they are difficult to take. On the
other hand, the other classes above named
make up the great class of "sleepers, from
Of hunters is derived. l never saw or
heard of "cow" having her young beside
her in the water, either on the coast or in
Boring sea. ]. d. WARREN.
Victoria, B. c., August 10, 1889.
The above statements, made by expert
enced sealers, are deemed reliable enough
to be used by the British minister at WASH
ington City as part of his reply to Mr..
Blaine, under date of April 80, 1890.
Now, submit, Mr.. Editor, this practical
evidence above quoted in full, is nothing
more than proof of what naturalists have
known, and know well today, that no seal
IS born at sea; they could no more suckle
their helpless young in the water than cats
or dogs could, and to these animals they
are very closely related.
Again, the herd of fur seals which ap-
pears off the Straits of Fuca at this season
of the year does not go south. 1t is fol-
lowed by the pelagic sealers up along the
Northwest coast, across the entrance to
Prince Williams sound, down along the
coast of the Kenai peninsula, across the
entrance to Cook inlet, down along the
south coast of Kadiak island. thence along
the borders of the peninsula of Alaska,
around off the Shumagin islands and the
Chernabours, off Saanak, into the passes
Of Unimak, Akootan, ETC., into Boring
sea through these passes by the 1st of July.
This route and pursuit shows that the fur
seal of Cape Flattery is followed into Ber-
ing sea every year. and it is therefore the
same seal. We know it to be SO, indie
pendent of this testimony, since we have
its skin and skeleton, taken at the entrance
OF Fuca straits, and it is identical with
the skin and skeleton taken on the Pribilof
islands.
Now, in conclusion, after putting these
firm denials above cited of Mr.. Swans as
sertion that fir seals bring forth their
young at sea, .off the straits of Fuca," let
me add that Mr.. Swan cannot get the
assent of any naturalist, Of any reputation
as such, to endorse his view of pelagic
birth, Tor to deny any statement of its
falseness), simply because it is unnatural
and unwarranted by the life of the animal
itself. All this dust and verbiage about
pups sinking like stope" is immaterial
these pups that he speaks of are not born
in the open waters Of any sea or inlet, and
that is what stated; that they perish
when thrown into the sea after being cut
out from theirmothers, is also true; and
whether they sink 1T once, or in few
moments later, is imrnaterial.
HENRY w. ELLIOTT.