6 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



The Georgia Islands and the Sandwich group — all a succession of 

 rock}^ islands and reefs awash — the South Orknej's, the Shetlands, the 

 Auckland group, Campbells Island, Emerald Island, and a few islets 

 lying just to the southward of New Zealand, have all been places of 

 lively and continued butchery; the fur seals ranging in desperation 

 from one of those places to the other as the seasons progressed, and 

 the merciless search and slaughter continued. These pinnipeds, 

 however, never went to the southward of 62° south latitude. 



In considering the western Antarctic hemisphere, I must not forget 

 also to mention that the fur seal was in early times found up the east 

 coast of South America, here and there in little rookeries, as far north 

 as Cape St. Roque; but the number was unimportant when brought 

 into contrast with that belonging to those localities which I have 

 designated. A small cliff-bound rookery to-day exists at Cape Cori- 

 entes. This is owned and farmed out by Argentina, and we are 

 informed that in spite of all their care and attention they have 

 neither increased nor have they diminished from their original insig- 

 nificance; from this rookery only 3,000 to 5,000 were and are annually 

 taken. It appears as if the fur seals had originallj' passed to Bering 

 ;Sea from the jjarent stock of the Patagonia region, up along the coast 

 'of South America, a few tarrying at the dry and heated Galapagos 

 Islands, the rest speeding on to the northward, disturbed by the clear 

 skies and sandy beaches of the Mexican coast, on and up to the great 

 fish-spawning shores of the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea. There, 

 on the Pribilof group and the bluffy Commander Islands, they found 

 that union of cool water, well-adapted landing, and moist, foggy air 

 which they had missed since they left the storm-beaten coasts far 

 below. 



In the Antarctic waters of the Eastern Hemisphere seals were found 

 at Tristan da Cunha, principally on Little Nightingale Island, to the 

 southward of it; on Goughs Island; on Bouvets Island; Prince 

 Edward and Marion islands; the Crozette group, all small rocks, as it 

 were, over which violent storms fairly swept; then we observe the 

 great rookeries of Kerguelen Land, or Desolation Island — where 

 perhaps nine-tenths of all the oriental fur seals congregated — thence 

 over to a small and insignificant islet known as the Royal Company, 

 south of Good Hope. This list includes all the known resting places 

 of the fur seal in those waters. 



Former abundance in the Southern Hemisphere ; Extent of 

 EXTERMINATIONS. — In the light of the foregoing remarks, is it not 

 natural, when we reflect ui^on the immense area and the exceedingly 

 favored conditions of ground and climate frequented by the fur seals 

 of the southern ocean, to say that their number must have been 

 infinitely greater as they were first apprehended, surj)assing all ade- 

 quate description, when compai'ed to those which we now regard as 

 the marvel and wonder of the age — the breeding rookeries of the 

 Pribilof group? 



It is a great pity that this work of extermination and senseless 

 destruction should have progressed as it has to the very verge of total 

 extinction ere anyone was qualified to take note of and record the 

 wonderful life thus eliminated. The Falkland Islands and Kergue- 

 len Land, at least, might have been placed under the same restrictions 

 and wholesome direction which the Russians established in the North 

 seas, the benefits of which accrue to us to-daj^ and will forever, as 

 matters are now conducted. Certamlj^ it is surprising that the busi- 

 ness thought, the hardheaded sense, of those early English navigators 



