224 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



estimate was reached by a careful examination of ;ill catches referred to in the affidavits and other 

 papers in the case and coimirr case of the United States and <Jreat Britain, excluding those which 

 were claimed to have been taken off the Russian coast. 



That the British returns (above cited ,. 2!i. 146, include seals taken on the western side of Bering 

 Sea, from the Russian herd, will appear, as above stated, from the fact of the warning of said vessels, 

 under the modus vivendi, and their subsequent crossing to the Russian coast. 



The report of the minister of marine and fisheries of Canada for 18!)1 credits none of the catch 

 to Russian waters. In 1892, however, said report credits 14,805 skins out of a total of 5:>,!M2 from 

 said Asiatic shores. The fact that this lar^c catch was made in 1892 points strongly to similar catches 

 in the year 1891. which are continued by the above-mentioned evidence. 



17 Obtained by subtracting the total of 27,450 and 8,432 from 68,000. 



'"See United States counter case, page 408. 



"Taken from Alfred Fraser's estimates for American sealing fleet in Asiatic waters. Skins 

 entered in United States port-.. 



-"The smallness of the number, 2,199, suggests that either many of the vessels after clearing 

 sailed directly for the Japan coast, or else the catches off the Northwest coast were transshipped at 

 Japan ports. 



*'The American catch for 1893 is based upon statistics compiled by A. Fraser and on file in the 

 Treasury Department. The United States consul at Victoria states (Consular Reports No. 161, p. L'TiM 

 that American schooners in 1893 transshipped at Yokohama and Hakodate between 17,000 and 18,000 

 skins. This is further confirmed by the report of the Canadian department of marine and fisheries 

 for 1893, page clxviii, which gives the catch of American vessels landed at Hakodate as 18,587. 



83 The figures for the catches of Canadian vessels are taken from the report of the Canadian 

 department of marine and fisheries for 1893, page clxvii. 



''The London trade sales for 1893 account for the disposition of 109,669 pelagic skins. 



"Compiled from the reports of collectors at ports of entry on the Pacific Coast. These reports 

 are on file in the Treasury Department. 



"'The figure 23.710 is obtained by taking the 6,836 skins noted under the caption "Locality 

 undetermined" in the letter of the Secretary of the Treasury to Congress dated January 21, 1895 

 (Fifty-third Congress, third session, Ex. Doc., 243), and dividing them between the Asiatic and 

 American herds in similar proportions as the other skins landed at United States ports in United 

 States sealing vessels during 1894. The result would he: American herd, 6,152; Asiatic, 684. Adding 

 6,152 to the catch on the Northwest coast (12.398) already given and the Bering Sea catch (5,160) 

 already given, we have the total 23,710. 



Made up of skins as per records of collectors of customs on the Pacific coast, which credit 1,500 

 to Asiatic waters; 684 skins, previously referred to in note 2;", and the 20,000 skins which it is 

 estimated were transshipped in Japan (Ex. Doc. 243, Fifty-third Congress, third session. "Notes 

 concerning catch for 1894," p. 4). 



' Taken from report of Canadian department of marine and fisheries for 1894, page 9. 



The figures 26,425 include one American vessel, whose catch was 84 skins. 



The figures 49,843 contain the catches of three American vessels, which aggregated 490 skins. 



The facts in the two foregoing paragraphs are given in a report of Fisheries Commissioner 

 Costigan to the Governor-General of Canada, under date of January 9, 1895, page 9. 



2< Reports of collectors of customs at American ports of entry on the Pacific Coast. 



^Official statement sent by United States Consul Roberts, at Victoria, under date of November 

 15, 1895, and on file in the Treasury Department. 



'"'The pelagic catch for 1895 is further increased by a catch of about 10,000 skins taken by 

 vessels clearing from Japanese ports. 



31 From returns of United States inspectors who examined skins landed in United States ports. 



M From official returns of collector of customs, Victoria, British Columbia. Skins not inspected. 



"In averages per vessel relating to Northwest coast catch, the canoe catches are not included. 

 British Columbia canoe catch, 2,353, included in Canadian Northwest coast total. 



M Total catch of American and Canadian vessels for 1896 further increased by a catch of 3,392 

 skins taken by vessels clearing from Japanese ports, and of 1.497 skins taken by natives in the passes 

 of the Aleutian Islands. 



'"All log entries relating to American pelagic catch sworn to by masters of vessels, but most of 

 them changed as to proportion of females upon examination of catches by inspectors of seal skins. 



