234 THE SEALS. 



favored the restriction, that it would supply to the native people, in 

 lieu of the imp-seal meat taken away, a sufficient quantity of corned 

 beef and canned milk to satisfy the wants of the inhabitants. Defer- 

 ence was always paid to the wants and the fixed tastes of the native 

 people and their families in this matter of supplying young seal meat 

 for their subsistence, for the reason that the entire seal industry at 

 these islands has always depended in so large a measure upon the skill 

 and labor of these people, who have invariably been employed to take 

 the skins, and have no other occupation whatever. 



It has been said that man can do nothing to facilitate the propagation 



of the fur seal. My experience does not support 



J. C. Eedpath, p. 152. this. The .reservation ot females and the killing 



of the surplus males, so that each bull can have a 



reasonable number of cows, is more advantage to the growth of the 



rookeries than when in a state of nature bulls killed each other in their 



efforts to secure a single cow. 



Prof. H. W. Elliott says, in his report of ] 871. that : " With regard to the 

 increase of seal life. 1 do not think it within the 



Leon Sloss, p. 92. power of human management to promote this end 



to the slightest appreciable degree beyond its 

 present extent and condition in a state of nature." 



If he means by the words ''in a state of nature," a condition in which 

 no slaughter is allowed, I quite agree with him; but I do not agree that 

 the increase can not be aided by killing surplus bulls. When herded 

 in common pasture, the greatest number of progeny from our domestic 

 animals will unquestionably be brought forth and live to adult age if a 

 large portion of the males have been killed or castrated. The same no 

 doubt holds good with respect to scads. It is only when, as in the case 

 of the seals, that the mothers and young offspring are slaughtered that 

 the increase is checked. 



MANNER OF TAKING-. 



Page 155 of The Case. 



(See also "Driving," " Overdriving ami redriving," "Improvements over Russian methods of tak- 

 ing," and " Killing.") 



The present system of taking seals on the islands in vogue and prac- 

 ticed by the lessees under governmental super- 

 John C.CantweJl, p. 408. vision is, in my opinion, the best that can be de- 

 vised for building up and perpetuating this great 

 industry. 



I became very familiar with the methods employed by the natives in 

 taking the bachelor seals, which are the only ones 



R.A.Glidden, p. 110. killed on the islands, ami I do not believe any 

 improvement could be made in the methods. 



Sealing on Kobben Island, in the Russian group, was prohibited for 

 a period of five years for the purpose of encour- 

 JohnMalowanslcy,p. 198. aging the increase of the herd, but their propaga- 

 tion was interrupted by the frequent attempts of 

 poachers to raid the rookeries, and I believe that 4,000 or 5,000 seals 

 were killed by the marauders while we were attempting to promote 

 the growth of the herd. 



