16 



had been and still was going- on in these seas. He stated that, in 

 addition to the vast (Quantity brought to marliet, it was a common 

 practice for those engaged in the trade to shoot all seals they might 

 meet in the open sea, and that of these a great number sank so that 

 their skins could not be recovered." A similar letter was sent to Sir 

 E. Morier, British Ambassador at St. Petersburg. British Case, App., 

 Vol. Ill, p. 196; U. S. Case, Ajjp., Vol. I, p. 238. 



The close time, thus provisionally decided upon, covered, as will be 

 seen, not only Bering Sea, but the entire North Pacific Ocean between 

 America and Eussia, north of the forty-seventh degree of latitude. 



Mr. Bayard, writing to Mr. White, the United States Charge 

 d' Affaires at London, under date of May 1, 1888, said: "As you have 

 already beeu instructed, the Department does not object to the inclu- 

 siou of the Sea of Okhotsk, or so much of it as may be necessary, in 

 the arrangement for the protection of the seals. Nor is itthouglit 

 absolutely necessary to insist on the extension of the close season till 

 the 1st of November. Only such a period is desired as may be requi- 

 site for the end in view. But in order that success may be assured in 

 the efforts of the various governments interested in the protection of 

 the seals, it seems advisable to take the 15th of October instead of the 

 1st as the date of the close season, although, as 1 am now advised, the 

 1st of November would be safer. U. 8. Case, App., Vol. I, p. 180. 



In the course of a friendly discussion, in November, 1889, between 

 Mr. Blaine, the American Secretary of State, and Sir Julian Paunce- 

 fote, British Minister accredited to the United States, the former 

 (according to the report of that discussion made by the latter to the 

 Marquis of Salisbury) said: "The fur seal was a species most valuable 

 to mankind, and the Bering's Sea was its hist stronghold. The 

 United States had bought the islands in that se.a to which these crea- 

 tures periodically resort to lay their young, and now Canadian fisher- 

 men step in and slaughter the seals on their passage to the islands, 

 without taking heed of the warnings given by Canadian officials them- 

 selves, that the result must inevitably be the extermination of the 

 species. This was an abuse, not only reprehensible in itself and 

 opposed to the interests of mankind, but an infraction of the rights of 

 the United States. It indicted, moreover, a serious injury on a neigh- 

 boring and friendly State, by depriving it of the fruits of an industry 

 on which vast sums of money had beeu expended, and which had long' 

 been pursued exclusively, and for the general benefit. The case was 



