242 ARGUMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 



of the schooner Leon, then employed by the Russian Sealskin Com- 

 pany. He had been constantly engaged in the fur-sealing industry 

 and was familiar with the habits of these animals, both on the land 

 and in the water. Fie was in charge of and attended to the killing of 

 seals on Robben Island for the lessees from 1878 to 1885, taking from 

 1,000 to 4,000 seals per annum. With the exception of two years, 

 when lie was sealing on the Commander Islands, he had visited Rob- 

 ben Island every year from 1878 to 1S85. His testimony upon this 

 point is as follows: 



lamtoldand believe that the Robben Island seals can be distinguished 

 by experts from those on the Commander Islands, and am satisfied that 

 they do not mingle with them and are a separate and distinct herd. 

 They remain on and about the islands in large numbers until late in the 

 fall. I have been accustomed to leave in October or early November, 

 and seals were always plentiful at that time. I am of opinion that they do 

 not migrate to any great distance from the island during the winter. A 

 few hundred young pups are caught every winter by the Japanese in 

 nets off the north end of Yesso Island. I have made thirty-two voyages 

 between the Aleutian Archipelago and the Commander Islands, but 

 have never seen seals between about longitude 170 west and 165 east. 

 I am satisfied that Alaska, seals do not mix with those of Siberia. I 

 have seen seals in winter and known of their being caught upon the 

 Asiatic side as far south as 36 north latitude. 



William II. Brennan (ibid., p. 358) : Mr. Brennan,at the time of testify- 

 ing, resided at Seattle, in the State of Washington. He was an English 

 subject by birth and had spent the best part of his life in the close 

 study of the inhabitants of the sea, including seals and the modes of 

 capturing them. He had passed his examination as second mate in 

 London in 1874, and had been to Australia, China, and Japan. In the 

 last country he had remained several years. Since that time he has 

 followed the sea as sailing captain, pilot, and quartermaster on vessels 

 sailing out of Victoria, British Columbia. He testified as follows: 



In my opinion, fur-seals born on the Copper, Beriug, or Robben 

 islands Mill naturally return to the rookery at which they were born. 

 The same thing is true of those born on the St. Paul or St. George- 

 islands. No vessel, to my knowledge, has ever met a band of seals in 

 midocean in the North Pacific. I have crossed said water on three 

 different occasions, and each time kept a close lookout for them. The 

 greater part of the seals that we find in the North Pacific Ocean are 

 born on the islands in Bering Sea. Most of them leave there in Octo- 

 ber and November. 



C. H. Anderson (ibid., p. 205) : Mr. Anderson was a master mariner by 

 occupation, residing in San Francisco, and had been saihng in Alaskan 

 waters since 1S80. He says: 



