ORAL ARGUMENT OF SIR RICHARD WEBSTER, Q. C. M. P. 159 



no similar appearances were found, nor was anything of the same kind again seen till 

 the 4th August, on Polavina rookerv. St. Paul Island, where, near the soatliern 

 extremity of the rookery, several hundred dead pups were again fonnd by us, here 

 also covering an area of limited size, which we were nble to examine carefully with- 

 out disturbing the breeding seals. It was estimated tliat the pups here found had 

 died between ten days and two weeks before, which would place the actual date of 

 deatli at about the same time with that of those hrst referred to. 



318. On the following day the extensive rookeries of North-East Point were visited 

 and examined, but very few dead pups were anywhere seen. Mr. Fowler, in charge 

 of these rookeries for tlie Company, was specially questioned on this point, and fully 

 confirmed the negative observations made by ourselves at the time. It may here bo 

 mentioned that the vicinity of North-East Point had been the principal and only 

 notable locality from wliich, up to this date, sealing vessels had been sighted in the 

 olting, or had been reported as shooting seals witliin hearing of the shore. 



849. On the 19th August, after a cruize to the northward of about a fortuight's 

 duration. 



I ask tlie Tribunal to note the dates — the 15th, 20th and 31st of 

 July; the 1st August and the 19th August. 



Ou the 19th August, after a cruize to the northward of about a fortnight's dura- 

 tion,, we returned to St. Paul, and on the same day revisited Tolstoi Rookery. On 

 this occasion the dead ])ups previously noted were still to be seen, but the bodies 

 were flattened out and more or less covered with sand, by the continuous movement of 

 the living seals. There were, liowever, on and near the same place, and particularly 

 near the angle between Tolstoi Rookery aiul the sands of English Bay, many more 

 dead pups, larger in size than those first noted, and scarcely distinguishable in this 

 respect from the living jiups which were then "podded out" in great numbers in the 

 immediate neighbourhood. Messrs. Fowler and Murray, who accompanied us on 

 this occasion, admitted the mortality to be local, and the tirst-named gentleman 

 stated that iu his long experience he had never seen anything of the kind before, 

 and suggested that the mothers from this special locality might have gone to some 

 particular "feeding bank," and have there been killed together by sea sealers. On 

 the same day we visited the Reef Rookery again, and a search was made there for 

 dead pups, which resulted in the discovery of some of approximatelj^ the same size 

 with those last mentioned, but probably not more than an eighth, and certainly not 

 more than one fourth, in number as compared with the inner end of the Tolstoi 

 Rookery ground, and proportionately in both cases to the number of living pups. 



350. While making a third insjiection of the St. Paul rookeries iu September, on 

 the 1.5th of that month, the Reef and North-East Point rookeries were again specially 

 examined. 'I'he rookery ground of the south-eastern side of the Reef Point was 

 carefully inspected area by area, with field-glasses, from the various rocky points 

 which overlook it, and irom which the whole field is visilile iu detail save certain 

 narrow stony slojies close to the sea-edge, where dead pups might have been hidden 

 from view among the boulders. Subsequently, the north-eastern sloping ground, 

 named Gorboch on the ]ilaus, being at that date merely occupied by scattered groups 

 of seals, was walked over. The result of the inspection was to show that there 

 were on the south-east side a few dozen dead pups at the most in sight, while on the 

 opposite side perhaps a hundred in all were found in the area gone over, being, prob- 

 ably, the same with those seen here the previous mouth, and in number or contiguity 

 not in any way comparable with those seen at the iuner end of Tolstoi. 



351. On the same day a final visit was made to the North-East Point rookeries, then 

 iu charge of three natives only. Two of these men went over the ground with us, aud 

 were (juestioned on various subjects, including that of dead pups, through our Aleut 

 inter])reter. They would not admit tiiat tliey had seen any great number of dt'ad 

 pups on the North-East Part this season, and did not seem to be in any way impressed 

 Avith the idea that there had been any unusual mortality there. The ground to the 

 north of Hutchinson Hill was, however, carefully examined by us from the slopes 

 of the hill, aud a few dead pups were made out there. Again, at a place to the 

 north of Sea-lion Neck of the plans, and beyond the sand beach upon wliich hollus- 

 chickie generally haul out, a slow advance was made among a large herd of females 

 aud pups, though part of these were necessarily driv^eu oft' the ground in so doing. 

 An occupied area of rookery was thus walked over, and the dead pups whicli 

 appeared at this sjiot to be unusually abundant were counted with approximate accu- 

 racy. A very i'ew were found scattered over the general surface, but on approaching 

 the shore edge, an area of about 20,000 square feet was noted, in which about 100 

 dead pups were assembled. Some of these lay within reach of the surf at high tide. 

 Most appeared to have been dead for at least ten days aud several were broken up 

 and nuTugled by the niovenieut of the living seals on and about them. This par- 

 ticular locality showed a greater number of dead pups to area than any other seen 



