RErOUT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 19 



islands iniijlit be modified in kind or in degree, but their 

 general tendency eould not be reversed, 



30. The Pribyloff and Connnander Islands of the North Kegniationson 

 Pacihc have, however, continued to be the resorts of large '"'•'®'i'"^>«^'i'"i'*- 

 numbers of fur-seals for more than KtO years subsequent to 

 their discovery and occupation by the Eussians. Almost 

 from the first, regulations restricting the slaughter of seals 

 on land were instituted and carried out by the Kussiau 

 authorities, ami similar measures have been continued in 

 the case of the Pril>yloff Islands by the Goxernment of the 

 United states. Though continuous, or nearly so, in their 

 general operation, such regulations have varied much in 

 their nature, and even more with regard to the degree of 

 elliciency with whic^h they have been enforced, and in the 

 latter respects they have at no time been entirely satisfac- 

 tory for the purposes intended. 



'M. During the early years of the Kussiau control, the inipiovcmints 

 conditions of seal life were very imperfectly understood, ""■''^"'"^'"°*'- 

 and but little regard was paid to the subject. A rapid 

 diminution in the number of seals freijuenting the islands, 

 however, eventually claimed attention, and improvements 

 of various kinds followed. Among the tirst of the more 

 stringent measures adoi)ted was the restriction of killing 

 to males, which followed from the discovery that a much 

 larger luimber of males were born than were actually 

 8 required for service on the breeding "rookeries." 



The killing of fenmles was practically forbidden on 

 the Pribyloff Islands about 1847, and on the Commander 

 Islands probably about the same date. 



38. The obvious fact w^as also recognized that the killing- 

 for food alone of large numbers of young seals or "pups," 

 when their skins came to possess no commercial value, was 

 a useless waste of seal life. On the Comnuinder Islands 

 this i)ractice ceased after the year 1874. It was strongly 

 protested against as early as 1875 on the Pribyloff Islands, 

 but was not actually forbidden there until the year 1891. 



30. The number of seals annually killed on the Pribyloff xumijois uiii- 

 Islands during the earlier years of the Pussian I'^^U'iuie is[^y'^'g^j^\'^^^|,'"''^" 

 not accurately known, though fairly exact statistics are 

 extant from the year 1817. Sufficient is known, however, 

 to show that the number killed in various years before this 

 date differed widely, and was in some years excessive. 

 The whole nunabers of seals killed in certain terms of years 

 has been recorded with approximate accuracy. A study 

 of the figures thus available indicates that the average 

 annual killing during the twenty-one years, 1787 to 1800, 

 both inclusive, Avas about 50,000; during the nine years, 

 from 1807 to 1810, it was approximately, .47,500; and dur- 

 ing the years from 1817 to 180() was 25,000. 



('Ombiniug the whole i)eriod covered by the figures above 

 quoted, and adding* the year in which the islands Avere 

 discovered, Ave find that th(i killing on the Piibylofl" Islands 

 averaged for this term of eighty-one years about 34,00(> 

 annually. 



The exact iigures, in so far as these can be obtained, are 

 given in a tabular form (§771). 



