REPORT OF THE BRITISH BEHRING SEA COMMIS- 

 SIONERS. 



No. 4. 



The Behrinr/ Sea Commissioners to the 3farquis of Salishuri/. — (Received 



Aur/ust 14.) 



Foreign Office, August 13, 1892, 

 My Lord: With reference to onr despatch of the 4th March, 1892, 

 inclosing" the Joint lieport of the Joint Commission, we now have 

 the liouour to snbmit, as the "several'' Report contemplated in that 

 despatch, the Report which we have had the hononr to make to Her 

 Majesty the Qneen nnder the Commission appointing us to investigate 

 seal life in Behring Sea. 

 We have, &c. 



(Signed) George Baden-Powell. 



George M. Dawson. 



' [Inclosiire iu No. 4.] 



REPORT. 



To the Queev's Most Excellent Majesty. 



May it plkask Your Majesty, 



We, your Majesty's Commissioners, .appointed to nndertake an iuqviiry into the 

 conditions of seal life and the precautions necessary for preventing tlie extermina- 

 tion of the fur seal species in Behring Sea and other parts of the North Pacitic Ocean, 

 beg to submit the following Report. 



2. The main object of onr inquiry was to ascertain what international arrange- 

 ments, if any, were necessary between Great Britain and the United States and 

 Russia, or any other Power, for the i>urpose of preserving the fur-seal race from 

 extermination. 



3. W^e were further instructed that Her Majesty had proposed to the President of 

 the United States that the iiivestigatiou should be conducted by a Joint Commission 

 of the two nations, and tiiat, on the conclusion of an Agreement providing for this, 

 we were to be the Delegates who would represent Great Britain on the Commission. 



4. It was also understf)od that the investigations and conclusions of this Joint 

 Commission would be ultimately laid befoi'e the Arbitrators, who were to adjudicate 

 on the international rights involved, and on the establishment of Regulations for 

 the ])roper jirotection and preservation of the fur-seal in or habitually resorting to 

 the Behring Sea. 



5. Wherefore, in carrying out the terms of our Commission, it has been our object 

 to acquire and record the most complete inform.ation available, in order to ])romote, 

 iu the true interests of all concerned, an ecjuitable, impartial, and nnitually satis- 

 factory adjustment of the (juestions at issue. 



6. The necessary means ot transport over the North Pacific Oce.an was provided 

 for us by the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty, and the requisite permission to 

 visit and examine the seal rookeries situated in American or Russian territory was 

 olitained at our request from the respective Governments. 



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