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



Then Goben says: 



I have observed that fur-seals first appear in the neighbonrhood of Cooks Inlet in 

 small schools about the middle of April comiug from the Southward and increasing 

 in number until the latter part of May travelling along the coast of the main land 

 from eastward to westward but never entering Cooks Inlet above Anchor point. 



Theu Gregoroff, on page 234, is the same as Frank Korth page 235 

 says : 



In the early part of the season the males are the most numerous a few females 

 being taken towards its close in the latter part of May. 



That is at Prince William Sonncl. 



And Kvvam says at the top of page 236 : 



Seals first appear in Prince William Sound about 1st May, and were formerly quite 

 plentiful, while now they are becoming constantly scarcer. I do not know the 

 cause of tliis decrease. All the seals that I have seen killed "were females and the 

 majority of these were pregnant cows. 



There are a large number of other affidavits, but I have cited suffi- 

 cient to show the cUxss of evidence on which I rely for the statement 

 that the pregnant females that formed part of the herd come after the 

 bulls. The United States Case and ours is this; they are both the 

 same, that they appear in this order, first the bulls, then the i^regnaut 

 cows, then the holluschickie and last year pups. 



General Foster. — That is not our contention. 



Sir EiCHARD Webster. — If it is not the contention it is at all 

 events the United States Commissioners' evidence on the point. If 

 there is another contention we shall no doubt hear it later on. The 

 important thing to fix Is when they get into Behring Sea and the 

 Islands, and though the evidence is extremely abundant I will l)e con- 

 tent with very few references. I will take one from the United States 

 Commissioners' own report, which is to be found at page 325 of the 

 United States Case. This is at the Islands. 



The cows begin arriving early in June, and soon appear in large schools or droves, 

 iniineuse numbers taking their places on the rookeries each day between the middle 

 and end of the mouth, the precise dates varying with the weather. They assemble 

 about the old bulls in compact groups called harems The harems are complete 

 early in .luly, at which time the breeding rookeries attain their maximum size and 

 compactness. 



And if you will turn to page 385 you will find a table — I mention 

 this now particularly in consequence of the interlocutory observation 

 of General Foster — the table which is appended by the United States 

 Commissioners to their report, for a series of years, and you will 

 observe the columns, and notice in every case, taking the Pribilolt 

 Islands, the bulls come first, then the cows, and then the pups. If you 

 would kindly look at the dates, 1872, May 13th bulls: cows June 3rd: 

 pups June l.Jth. In every case the order is that which I give — bulls 

 first; then cows; then pups. 



Mr. Justice Harlan. — There is no table there for the bachelors. 



Sir EiCHARD Webster. — As a matter of fact you will find that the 

 holluschickie are stated to come with the pui)s. 



Mr. Justice Harlan. — No, at page 325 it says they begin to arrive 

 early in May. 



Sir Richard Webster. — Well, if that is the point, of course it is 

 quite immaterial to the contention I am upon — absolutely immaterial, 

 if that was the correction intended by Mr. Foster. 



General Foster. — That is the correction, that the bachelors come 

 before the females. 



