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



that line to tlie rear from five to twelve." M. Grebnitsky, Superintendent of the 

 Commander Islands, as the result of his prolouued experieuce, states that the propor- 

 tion of one adult male to ten females should not, as a rule, be overpassed, and that 

 one to twenty may be considered as a maximum limit. Captain Blair, long familiar 

 with the fur-seals of the Asiatic coast, informed us, in speaking of Kobben Island, 

 that the number of males now existing there, viz., one adult male to twenty-five 

 females, was far too small. Lieutenant Maynard, again, says: "The bulls are polyg- 

 amous, having from five to twenty cows each; so that the number of them upon the 

 rookeries is not more than one tenth of that of the cows." 



294. It may tlius be very safely assumed that the ratio of virile males of full age, 

 cannot be allowed to exceed the pro2)ortion of one to twenty, without serious danger 

 of harm to the breeding rookeries, and the certainty of grave irregularities on them; 

 and it is necessary to bear this fact in mind in endeavouring to appreciate the meaning 

 of the present condition of the rookeries of the Pribilof Islands, where, as elsewhere 

 poiutetl out, these conditions have, for a number of years, not been realized. 



It is not too far to say, Mr. President, tlie result of that collection ot 

 authorities would put au average of something- like 1 to 10 with a max- 

 imum of 1 to 15, and in extreme cases 1 iu 20 being thought too high. 

 Now let me first take the United Htates evidence as to what the state 

 of things is, or rather 1 should say, as to what the state of things ought 

 to be; and if the Tribunal will kindly take the 2nd volume of the 

 Appendix, they will find Mr. Bryant's affidavit at page 6 where, in the 

 middle of the paragraph with a marginal note of" Bulls," he says : " Here 

 he " — that is the bull — 



gathers about him as many cows as he is able to place within the radius of the area 

 controlled by him: the average seen at one time Avhile I was on the islands was from 

 fifteen to twenty to a bull; but as the cows were constantly going to and coming 

 from the water, it is impossible to calculate accurately the number to a harem. Prob- 

 ably not all the cows belonging to a bull were on shore at any one time; and I am of 

 the opinion that a bull could, if necessary, serve seventy -five to a hundred cows dur- 

 ing a season. 



I mention that, as JNIr. Bryant's affidavit made in the year 1892 is 

 somewhat a strong order after he had left the Island for some 16 years; 

 but it is important, even with his desire to make an affidavit, as far as 

 he could, justly in accordance with the United States Case, he puts the 

 average from 15 to 20. 



T would kindly ask you to be good enough to turn to page 14 of the 

 same book where you will find Mr, Stanley Brown's first affidavit in the 

 matter; and, reminding you of au average from 1 to 15, on a maximum 

 of 20, let us look how Mr. Stanley Brown, with his one year's experience, 

 describes it: 



The number of females which a bull is able to gather around him to form his 

 harem, depending, as it does in some measure, upon topographic conditions, may be 

 represented by extremes of one a?id 75. The average number of last year was aljout 

 20 or 25. Unusually large harems were infrequent. 



Kow I wish to speak with all respect for Mr. Stanley Brown's opinion, 

 but it is remarkable to note that referring to this subject with afresh 

 mind he puts the average at 20 to 25, or 30 or 40 per cent above the 4 

 or 5 gentlemen of great experience, whose evidence, from their pub- 

 lished reports, I have already read to the Tribunal; and he mentions 

 harems he liad seen which ran up as high as 75. 



Now there are two accounts made of this matter by Mr. Evermann in 

 the United States Counter Case at page 264. The first one gives 13 

 bulls, 90 cows, and 211 pups; and he says that he counted, counting all 

 the harems, calling one bull and all the cows and pu]»s about him, one 

 harem. The next one gives 15 bulls, 200 cows, and (iOO pu])s, whicli is 

 1 in 40; and I desire to point out a very remarkable thing that iu mak- 

 ing the count of a harem he says. 



