ARGUMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN. 83 



tofore accessible, it was impossible to apportion the num- 

 ber of "pups" killed for food iu each jiaiticiilar year, for 

 only the grand total for a number of years was given. But 

 acce])ting the new Table here printed and referred to by 

 the United States, the killing in 1875 is even there shown 

 to have been more than 4,000 less than in 1874. A refer- 

 ence to the diagram given in the Commissioners' Report Diagram v. 

 will show graphically the character of the change referred 

 to by them as occurring in 1875. 



On this page of the Counter-Case, the United States P^ge?;. 

 deny that any lowering of the standard weight of skins 

 taken on the islands occurred until 1886, contrary to state- 

 ments made in the British Commissioners' Report (para. British Com- 

 694, &c.), but in so doing the United States ignore the abso- port.'paia! 69g.'" 

 lute evidence to this effect by one of their own prin- 



99 cipal witnesses (H. H. Mclntyre), which carries the 

 lowering of weight back to 1883. It is, however, 

 admitted that a lowering of standard weights occurred in 

 1886. It is stated in the Case of the United States that a 

 decrease became i)ercei)tible on the islands iu 1884-85. The 

 lowering of standards is referred to by the Commissioners 

 merely as an index of the decrease on the islands, and the 

 date of such lowering now fixed by the United States does 

 not agree with that of admitted decrease as stated in the 

 United States Case. 



Reference is next made by the United States to a new ,^,^^g*^ t^^''^ Ta- 

 Table by Mr. Heilbronner, alleged to show the weights aiul di^ li^post!'^'^^' 

 prices of skins from the Pribylofif Islands from 1874 to 1889 

 (both inclusive). The prices given in this Table have no 

 bearing on the present question, as these de])end on many 

 other circumstances besides the weight, quality, or size of 

 skins offered for sale. 



From the Table printed, the "twelve additional columns 

 showing percentages" have been "omitted for the sake of 

 brevity." Owing to this fact, the Table afitbrds only a basis 

 of computation, not any distinct evidence as to the condi- 

 tions from year to year. 



Further, as already stated, the weights of skins taken 

 are referred to by the British Commissioners only as a rough 

 index of the sizes and ages of the seals killed. No infor- 

 mation is aftbrded as to the manner in which these weights 

 have been determined in the Table now presented by the 

 United States, nor as to whether they are those of skins as 

 taken on the islands, or those of salted skins as sold. It 

 would, however, a])pear from the classification by sizes 

 adopted in the Table, that the latter are meant, as no such 

 classification by sizes is made on the islands. The weights 

 of skins spoken of by the British Commissioners are, on 

 the contrary, those taken or estimated on the Pribylofif 

 Islands. Messrs. Lampson state that the weights of salted Britisn Coun- 

 skins are greater than those of skins in the raw state; so jix/voT li, p'.'26i. 

 that if the weights given in Mr. Heilbronner's Table are 

 those of salted skins, they do not com])are in any satisfac- 

 tory way with the weights referred to bj^ the British Com- 

 missioners. 



