542 IN THE PRESENT. 



are called the Northwest, catch, which are the skins of seals killed in 

 the north part of the Pacific Ocean, or in the Bering- Sea. A large 

 proportion of the Northwest catch of skins have passed through depo- 

 nent's hands for some years last past, and last year he handled nearly 

 the whole of the Northwest catch. 



Besides those three last-mentioned classes, the Alaska, Copper, and 

 Northwest, a certain number of seal-skins also come to the London 

 market from southern waters, notably Lobos Island and Cape Horn, 

 but the skins from these localities are relatively much less important 

 than the skins of the Northern Pacific regions. 



That for many years last past the fur-seal skins coming on the Lon 

 don market have been known as, first, the Alaska 



Wm.c.B. stamp, p. 575. catch, which are the skins of seal killed upon the 

 Pribilof Islands situated in the Bering Sea; sec- 

 ond, the Copper Island catch, which are the skins of seals killed on the 

 Kommondorski and Robben Islands in the Russian waters. The Rob- 

 ben Island skins were formerly separated from the Kommondorski Is- 

 lands and were of inferior quality, and it is only within the last eight or 

 ten years that the Robben Island skins, which are inconsiderable in 

 number, have been presumably mingled with the skins of seals caught 

 on the Copper Islands and included in the term " Copper catch; " third, 

 the Northwest catch, which are skins of seals killed in the open Pacific 

 or Bering Sea. 



There are known to the trade in purchasing raw fur skins from the 



North Pacific and Bering Sea three different va- 



B. H. Stemfels, p. 522. rieties — the Copper Island skins, the West Coast 



skins, which are those shot and and caught by 



hunters in the water, and, third, those taken from the Pribilof Islands. 



The most valuable are those taken from Pribilof Islands, and the 



next are the Copper Island skins, and those of least value are what is 



known as the West Coast catch. The latter, while of the same nature 



and from the same herd as those on the Pribilof Islands, are of less 



value because many of them are caught out of season. The skins are 



stagy and are full of holes from being shot. A number of them are 



cows in milk, and the fur on the belly is very much less valuable on 



that account. 



Third. That for many years last past the skins of fur-seals actually 

 Emu Teickmann, P .518. $°*P§ £ to *£ ra /fkets of the world have been 

 derived from the following sources: 



I. The Lobos Islands skins, which are the skins of seals caught upon 

 the islands of that name, situated off the River Platte and belonging 

 to the Republic of Uruguay. These skins are consigned by the persons 

 having the contract to take them with the Republic of Uruguay to Boul- 

 cher, Mortimer & Co., of London, by whom they are sold through Goad, 

 Rigg & Co., and catalogues of the last-mentioned firm are published 

 and have been inspected by deponent from time to time as published. 

 The total number of skins derived from this source, as appears from 

 an inspection of such catalogues, are, during the years 1873 and 1892 

 inclusive, set forth accurately in the paper which is annexed hereto and 

 marked Exhibit A. 



II. Gape Hi>ni shins. — Prior to the year 1876 a small number of skins 

 are supposed to have been obtained from this locality. They are not 

 classified in our books or catalogues, nor in the books of any other per- 



