310 ORAL ARGUMENT OF HON. EDWARD J. PHELPS. 



On page 2;52 of tlie British Coinmissioiiers Report or Appendix to it, 

 tbere is Andrew Laiug who testilies that he has never been closer than 

 30 miles — usnally 30 to 90 miles from the islands. 



On pajie l23() Captain William Cox says that he has sealed nsually 

 from 100 to 140 miles, and the nearest he has been is 80 miles. 



Captain Petit on page L'liO says he has usually sealed from 00 to 100 

 miles. 



On page 221 Captain Baker says he has usually sealed from 30 to 90 

 miles. 



On page 238 Captain Hacki'tt says he has usually sealed from 50 to 

 150 miles, and never nearer than 50. 



In the British Counter Case, in the 2nd Volume of the Appendix, 

 you will find some more Depositions iu which these distances are 

 mentioned. 



On page 47 Captain Sieward speaks of 120 miles. 



On page 47 Captain Dillon says 90 miles. 



On page 99 Captain Warren says a distance never nearer than 50 

 miles — generally 75 miles. 



On page 100, Oai)tain Pinckney says a distance of 80 to 150 miles 

 west of !St. George's island. 



On i)age 100, Mr. Hnghes says a distance of 100 miles west of St. 

 George's island. 



On page 108 A. W. Roland says a distance of 50 to 125 miles. 



On page 139 Frederick Crocker says a distance as far as 200 n)iles. 



Mr. Carter. — All these speak of having taken nursinfj females. 



Mr. PiiELPS. — Yes, every one; and in lact as I have already shown, 

 there is nothing else to be taken except a very small proportion of young 

 seals or of young females. The testimony 1 have gone over-shows that 

 the vast proportion were of this character, — by an enormous preponder- 

 ance of evidence, and lam endeavoring now only to locate the places. 

 I do not go back to the other question. 



Now will you kindly look at the same chart ISTo. 5 of the United States 

 Case. 



The President. — The purport of my question was this — that there 

 is a great difference between these catches after July in Behring Sea 

 and the catches along the north-west coast before the seals have gone 

 to Behring Sea. Are they all mothers or gravid females'? 



Mr. Phelps. — Yes. Here they are gravid females. 



The President. — They are nursing mothers'? 



Mr. Phelps. — On the north-west coast you mean ? 



The President. — Yes. 



Mr. Phelps. — In the Behring Sea, these animals have all had their 

 young — those that are going to have any. — and numy are pregnant again. 



The President. — The first sealing was much more detrimental to the 

 species than the second sort. 



Mr. Phelps. — That is a matter of estimate. 



The President. — Immediately I mean. 



I do not want to interrupt your argument — I mean according to your 

 inference. It is your meaning I wanted to fix. 



Mr. Phelps. — That depends on whether tlie yonng left on shore per- 

 ish. Young may i)erish after the death of the mother as well as before. 

 But it depends on another consideration which all the evidence shows, 

 that before these females leave the islands at all they are again impreg- 

 nated. 



The President. — All these facts are before us. 



