324 ARGUMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 



III. Further attention is given to alleged mismanagement of the seal 

 herd upon the Pribilof Islands. Little or nothing new in the way of 

 evidence is offered upon the subject, but the assertions contained in the 

 British Commissioners' report are repeated and enlarged. The points 

 on which particulars of this alleged mismanagement are stated are: (1) 

 the excessive killing of young males; (2) injuries committed by what 

 is called "overdriving"; (3) raids upon the islands. 



(1) Concerning the excessive slaughter of the young males, 

 there is no trustworthy evidence than an annual draft of 100,000 

 was, before any injury effected by pelagic sealing, excessive. It 

 is undoubtedly true that such a draft upon theislands, coupled with 

 any considerable amount of captures at sea, would be excessive, 

 and consequently we find that after pelagic sealing had readied 

 considerable proportions it became increasingly difficult to make 

 the annual draft of the 100.000 upon the islands, which difficulty 

 increased to such an extent that in 1890 it was arrested by the 

 action of the agent of the United States Government. If at that 

 time, or prior to that time, t\\e extent of pelagic sealing had been 

 known and its effects upon the herd ascertainable, action would 

 have sooner taken place to restrict the killing upon the islands. 

 In this suggestion the damages occasioned by pelagic sealing are 

 insisted on as its defense. 



(2) In respect to over driving, no proofs are submitted which 

 furnishes any considerable support to the assertion. It is un- 

 doubtedly true that from the very nature of the case there may be 

 more or less seals included in the drives unfit, by reason of being 

 females or otherwise, for slaughter. These are allowed to drop 

 out to regain the herd. The business of driving may be, if negli- 

 gently conducted, trying and injurous to the subjects of it, but it 

 is not necessarily so in any considerable degree. There is no 

 proof worthy of attention that it is so negligent. The interest of 

 those engaged in it is largely the other way. And the evidence 

 that it is well conducted is ample. 



(3) Upon the Islands it is to be said that undoubtedly there 

 have been in the past, and may be in the future, attempts, some 

 times successful on the part of marauders, to take seals by night. 

 But of what consequence is this to the argument? Does it show 

 anything more than that there ought to be kept an adequate guard? 

 And certainly we know that it is in the interest of the proprietors 



