ADDENDA. 



General Remarks. — When Japan, in 1875, gave up her possessions in 

 Saghalin to Paissia in exchange for the Northern Kuril Islands, she may, perhaps, 

 have done a wise thing politically, but there is no doubt that from a business point 

 she made a bad bargain. On Saghalin there are valuable herring, salmon, seaweed, 

 and other fisheries which the Japanese had exploited for many years, and, in 

 addition to these, it has minerals, timber, and peltries. 



The Northern Kurils, so far as was then known to the Japanese, had little or 

 nothing of the kind. Timber there is none; cultivation, for climatic reasons, is out 

 of the question ; and the fisheries are poor. There are certainly a few small 

 deposits of sulphur, which, however, at present will not pay to work. The chief 

 value of the islands lay in the sea-otter and seal fisheries. At the time of the 

 exchange, however, fur seals were not known to frequent the Kurils for breeding 

 purposes, and it was not until 1881, when their rookeries were rediscovered* by the 

 writer, that their existence became known to the Japanese. 



The fur-seal rookeries of the Kurils are, or rather were, three in number, viz. 

 on Srednoi rocks, Eaikoke Islands, and Mushir rocks. Eleven years ago some 

 twelve or fifteen thousand seals frequented each of the two first-named rookeries, 

 and about two or three thousand the last-named, whilst now it is doubtful if 

 altogether a hundred of these animals " haul up " at these places. They have been 

 exterminated by the indiscriminate slaughter of old and young on the rookeries by 

 both Japanese and foreign hunters. 



The fur seals on the Kurils commence to " haul up " in June. The "bulls" 

 arrive first, and take up positions on the rookeries. A few females arrive about 

 the end of June, but the majority during the first ten days of July. 



Very soon after "hauling up" the female gives birth to her one " pup," and 

 from three to five days afterwards she receives the male. The period of gestation 

 of the fur seal is therefore about 3(J0 days. The seals remain on the rookeries 

 until the end of October or the beginning of November. The first heavy fall of 

 snow usually drives them all off. 



Each male able to fight and hold his own has a harem of from about seven to 

 twenty females. Much fighting takes place between the bulls during the time the 

 females are hauling up. The young bachelors who are not strong enough to 

 maintain a position on the breeding-grounds are driven off by the old bulls, and 

 haul up by themselves ; but towards the end of the season, when the cause for 

 jealousy no longer exists, they become more or less mixed up with the others. 



* Many years ago, in the days of the old Russian-American Co., fur seals are 

 mentioned as being obtained in smitll numbers from the Kurile, 



