ORAL ARGUMENT OF HON. EDWARD J, PHELPS. 295 



The President. — Do these lofs; books for the year 1892 show thnt 

 the sealers sailed along' iu front of the north-west coast any time later 

 than the end of June? 



Mr. Phelps. — They do not. 



General Foster. — 13 of them closed their sealing season on or before 

 the 16th June; 3 on the 17th June; 2 on the lOth June and 3 between 

 the 20th and 3()th. 



The President. — Their sealing season along the north-west coast 

 you mean*? 



Mr. Phelps. — Yes. 



The President. — They went on further. You admit they went on 

 to the Commander Islands"? 



Mr. Phelps, — I was about to state that they went up to the Port of 

 Etches, that you see at the top, to unload aiul i^erhaps to get supplies. 

 A vessel that went n^ to meet them in the latter part of June was 

 seized by the United Snites and that virtually broke up the voyages of 

 these sealers, because they could not unload or obtain the sui)i)lies they 

 wanted, so they had to close their sealing season. 



The President. — Those go further — to July, August, and Septem- 

 ber. 



Mr. Phelps. — Yes. 



The President. — Where were they? 



Mr. Phelps. — In another map it is shown where they were. They 

 went to the Asiatic side of Behring Sea. The modus vivendi kept them 

 out of the American side. 



The President. — Of Behring Sea. 



Mr. Phelps. — They went over there, and made a later sealing. 



The President. — It was after June that they went over there? 



Mr. Phelps. — Yes. 



The President. — Was it in the latter part of June? 



Mr. Phelps. — Yes. 



General Foster. — After they made the exchange of the skins and 

 got supplies, they went over to the Asiatic side. 



Senator Morgan. — Would you point out on that map where you first 

 get the entrance to the Pribilof Island of these herds that are going 

 over there. 



General Foster. — TJnimakPass is one of the favorite passes, accord- 

 ing to the testimony — the principal one. The testimony is that they 

 go out as far as latitude 172. 



Senator Morgan. — I want you to point out the first one. 



General Foster. — That is the principal one, [indicating on the map]. 



Mr. Justice Harlan. — Are there some passes not easy to make the 

 passage through ? 



General Foster. — There is one called False Pass at high tide. It is 

 not used by the seals, I understand. 



Senator Morgan. — These seals that Mr. Pheljis has been speaking 

 of had accomplished about two-thirds of the distance between Van- 

 couver and that pass to the Pribilof Islands at the time you mention? 



Mr. Phelps. — You see from the map where they were when taken. 



General Foster. — We will show later on what the character of that 

 catch is. 



The President. — Do not they go after the seals along Unalaska — 

 along the promontory? 



Mr. Phelps. — They are travelling there. I do not know how close 

 they pursue fc. 



The President. — But you have no evidence about that. 



