116 



ARGUMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



It is also to be remarked that altlioiigii the above named gentlemen 

 had not since the dates above mentioned (in some cases fifteen to 

 twenty years ago) visited the Pribyloft" Islands, and had not, therefore, 

 any further personal information on the subject, yet the opinions 

 expressed in the testimony now put forward in many instances differ 

 materially from that formerly expressed by them in their official 



Reports, as the following few examples will show: 

 145 Stephen N. Buynitsky. — As to the existence of lish near the 



Priby lofts : 



They (the natives) subsist mostly on 

 cod and halibut, and every description 

 of fish they can find. They dry and pre- 

 serve it for winter. — (H. E., .50th Congress, 

 2nd Session, Report No. 3883, p. 12.) 



At the time I was on the islands I do 

 not think there were any iish at all with- 

 in 3 luiles of the islands, and that the 

 seals to feed had to go farther than that 

 from land. The belief is founded on state- 

 ments made me by natives on the islands, 

 and also from the fact that fresh fish were 

 seldom eaten upon the islands. — (United 

 States Case, Appendix II, p. 21.) 



H. H. Mclntyre. — As to the movements of seals while on the islands : 



The fact is that the bachelor seals may 

 be found to-day upon a certain rookery, 

 and at another time upon another place. 

 The result is the same animals, in many 

 instances, have been counted two or three 

 times. — (H. R., 50th Congress, 2nd Ses- 

 sion, Report No. 3883, p. 116.) 



As to the scarcity of bnlls : 



There are at present (1888), in my opin- 

 ion, too few bull seals to keep the rook- 

 eries up to their best condition. — (H. R., 

 50th Congress, 2nd Session, Report No. 

 3883, p. 117.) 



When we are left only exactly the num- 

 ber of bulls we need, and a few even of 

 these are killed, it completely upsets our 

 calculations, with the result of leaving 

 too few of this class of animals to secure 

 the full productiveness of the rookeries. — 

 (H. R., 50th Congress, 2ud Session, Report 

 No. 3883, p. 130.) 



Yet their (the seals') habits are so well 

 defined and unvarying that it is an easy 

 matter to determine whether they increase 

 or decrease from year to year, because 

 they always occupy the same portions of 

 certain beaches, and simply expand or 

 contract the boundaries of the rookeries 

 as they become more or less numerous. — 

 (United States Case, vol. ii, p. 48.) 



While I was located upon the said 

 islands there waS' at all times a greater 

 number of adult male seals than was nec- 

 essary to fertilize thefenuiles who hauled 

 up on said rookeries, and there was no 

 time when there were not vigorous bulls 

 on the rookeries wlio were uiuible to 

 obtain female consorts. — (United States 

 Case, vol. ii, p. 45.) 



Henry A. Glidden. — As to raids and sales of skins ; 



Raids on the rookeries by marauders 

 did not, while I was on the islands, 

 amount to anything, and certainly seal 

 life here was not affected to any extent 

 by such incursions. I only knew of one 

 raid upon St. Paul Island while I was 

 there.— (United States Case, Appendix, 

 vol. ii, p. 111.) 



J. H. Moulton. — As to the increase of seals on islands: 



Q. I would ask whether there are not 

 trading- vessels which buy skins? — A. 

 Yes, Sir, and steal skins; that is the 

 great trouble we had, to watch maraud- 

 ers. That was more trouble than anj'^- 

 thing else.— (H. R., 50th Congress, 2nd 

 Session, Report No. 3883, p. 26.) 



I think during the first five years (1877- 

 82) I was there there was an increase, 

 and during the last three years (1883-85) 

 there was no increase.— (H. R., 50th Con- 

 gress, 2nd Session, Report No. 3883, p. 255.) 



Charles A. Goff. — As to driving : 



We closed the season by turning away 

 86 per cent, [of the seals driven], a fact 

 which proves to every impartial mind 



While on St. Paul Island (1881-84) I do 

 not think the number of seals increased, 

 and in the last year (1884) I think there 

 was a slight decrease. — (United States 

 Case, Appendix, vol, ii, p. 71. ) 



A few seals are injured by redriving 

 (often conflicted with over-driving, and 

 sometimes so called), but the number so 



