121 



The seal hunters had depopulated the Antarctic Ocean of fur-seals, 

 and had made many successful raids on the islands and coasts of 

 Japan. Their poaching grounds had been exhausted and the hope of 

 gTeat profits drew them to Bering Sea. They found govertnnental 

 resistance in Japan, Eussia, and the United States, but they found in 

 Canada a Government that would give countenance to their raids, and 

 despite the best efforts of the United States and Great Britain, and of 

 their ordinances closing Bering Sea to them, they now sMarm upon 

 the known route of the migration of the seals, which they follow with 

 immense fleets. It was this sudden and dangerous movement that 

 caused these nations to agree that this Tribunal should settle the ques- 

 tions that stood in the way of concurrent action between these Govern- 

 ments j and should then determine regulations for the proper protection 

 and jjreservation of the fur-seals in the water, and not regulations to be 

 provided for the protection of the pelagic hunters, who are the only 

 human destroyers of the fur-seals that can not be otherwise completely 

 restrained. 



If we will take a correct view of the number and the power of these 

 destroyers we shall see in the dangerous aggregation of those enemies a 

 demand that we can not reasonably resist for preventing them from 

 destroying the fur-seals placed under our protection by this treaty. 

 In view of the very heavy forces that are and have been marshalled for 

 this ruinous purpose, and that are really invited to increase their num. 

 bers and strength by the regulations offered for our adoption on behalf 

 of Great Britain, we shall find a just and sufficient reason for firm 

 action, without being left to conjecture upon a meager statement of 

 facts, and abundant statements of loose, ignorant, muddy, conflicting, 

 and partial opinions as to how much wanton and needless injury lias 

 already been done to seal life, and in what months of the year it has 

 been done. 



In 1892, the sealing fleet in the North Pacific Ocean numbered 122 

 vessels, 69 of which were under the British flag, and 53 under the flag 

 of the United States. No other nations were participating in the hunt. 

 Allowing to each vessel 8 sealing boats, though none had less than 5, 

 and many of them had 15, there were 976 boats. There could not have 

 been less than 1,000 boats. Giving to each boat a hunter and oarsman, 

 there were 2,000 men employed in hunting. They also liad the ship 

 and its crew as a base for supply of ammunition andjirovisions, and to 

 give assistance in skinning the seals after hoisting them into the ship^ 



