614 ORAL ARGUMENT OF CHRISTOPHER R0BIN(50N, Q. C. 



seen two such "Pigeon Eoosts" — one some miles long, and about a 

 mile broad — in wliicli there would be found from two to twenty nests, 

 on every tree, and the birds were there in absolute millions. The peo- 

 ple round about shot the birds in their nests, and they destroyed the 

 young, and tried in every possible way to slaughter them, and thus a 

 most useful food bird to man was exterminated. Xobody interfered to 

 prevent it. The Walrus was destroyed in the same way and extermi- 

 nated, or nearly so, and the sea otter; and when my friends say that 

 cannot be prevented, they have Statutes on their Statute Books, which, 

 according to our evidence, have not been enforced. And we show there 

 is a possibility of practising husbandry with the Sea Otter: that the 

 Eussians have tried to keep preserves, but the Sea Otters are gradually 

 becoming extinct. 



As to the seals themselves, I would ask the Tribunal to be good 

 enough to refer to the British Commissioners' Report, page 89, sections 

 511 to 514. You will find. Sir, that as late as 1881 these seals were 

 treated thus — 10,000 of them were actually destroyed simply to prevent 

 the Japanese from getting any of them. Perhaps I may as well read 

 just a few sentences to show how it came about. 



Section 511 of the British Commissioners' Eeport is as follows: 



In 1871, this island 



that is Eobben Island 



with the Commander Islands, was leased to Messrs. Hutchinson, Kohl, Phillipena, 

 and Co., wlio transferred their rights to the Alaska Commercial Company. Mr. 

 Klnge went there in the same year in the interests of the lessees, and found that, in 

 consequence of the raid in 1870, there were not over 2,000 seals to be found on the 

 entire island. The island was watched in that year, but no seals were killed. A 

 few may have been killed in 1872, though, if so, the number is not known; but from 

 1873 to 1878 rather more than 2,000 skins were on the average taken annually by the 

 Company from this one small reef. 



512. About the year 1879, schooners sailing from Japan began to frequent the 

 island, and were in the habit of raiding it in the autumn, after the guardians had 

 been withdrawn. In 1881, the Company's agent remained on the island as late as 

 the 5th November, at which date five or six Japanese schooners were still hovering 

 about, looking for a chance to laud. The Dutch sealer "Otsego" was warned off 

 by the Company's trading steamer "Alexander." In consequence of such raids, the 

 number of seals declined from year to year. 



513. Probably discouraged by the cost and difficulty of protecting the island, and 

 in order to prevent competition in the sale of skins, the Company in 1883 made a 

 barbarous attempt to extirpate the seals on it. A full account of this attempt is 

 given in the deposition of C. A. Lundberg, who arrived at Eobben Island in the 

 schooner "North Star" from Yokohama, and found the mate of the schooner "Leon," 

 a vessel in the employ of the Alaska Commercial Company, living on the island 

 with about fifteen Aleuts. Lundberg found a great mass of dead and decaying seals 

 upon the shore, which had been killed by these men, as they said, in order to "keep 

 any of those Yokohanui fellows from getting anything this year." The crews of the 

 "North Star" and another schooner, the "Helene," then set to work to remote the 

 carcasses, which included those of many females and young, and proved to number 

 between 9,000 and 10,000. In the process, they managed to pick out some 300 skins 

 in good condition. There were thousands of seals in the water, but they would not 

 pull out on the heach on account of the stench and filth. 



Senator Morgan. — What was that Company'? 



Mr. EoBiNSON. — The same Company as I understand. 



Senator Morgan. — Holding a lease under Eussia, was it? 



Sir Charles Eussell. — They were holding a lease of Eobben Island 

 under Eussia. 



Mr. EoBiNSON. — This the Tribunal will find verified by the affida- 

 vits of Captain Folger, and Captain Miner, which are to be found at 

 pages 89 and 113. 



Senator Morgan. — Let me ask, was this massacre of the seals ever 

 called to the attention of the Eussian Government. 



