REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 35 



100. Tlie estimated aggTegate value of the British Colum- fij^^JJ ^^'steF'*'^'^ 

 biaii vessels employed in sealing, with their equipment, as 

 they sailed in 189i, was :359,000 dollars (72,000/.). It has 

 been asserted that only a portion of this total, correspond- 

 ing" with the length of the period in each year in which 

 these vessels are actually engaged in sealing, should be 

 taken as the capital invested. This stateuieut is, however, 

 as a matter of fact, incorrect. The sealing vessels are sel- 

 dom used in or fitted for other en]i)loyment, and nearly all 

 of them remain laid up in harbour between the dates of the 

 closing and opening of the sealing season — that is, between 

 October and January, or February. 



107. Adding to the above amount an estimate of the Xotai. 

 value of the United States sealing tleet in the same year, 

 which, it has been ascertained, cx(;eeds 250,000 dollars 

 (r)0,000/.), and may probably amount to 300,000 dollars 

 (00,000/.), an aggregate amount of capital of about 05(>,000 

 dollars (130,000/.) is represented by the combined fleets. 



In the foregoing estimates, no mention is made of the 

 revenue accruing to the Government of the United States 

 from the lease of the Pribylofif Islands to the sealing Com- 

 pany. 



108. It is difficult to present a luimerically accurate state- Comp.arative 

 ment showing the magnitude of the several interests astakeu''^" 

 represented by the nund)er of skins taken on the Pribylotf 



Islands and at sea resi)ectively. During- the past few 

 years, the statistics of the Canadian pelagic catch have 

 been fully and carefully recorded j but of the catches made 

 by the numerous vessels sailing" from ports in the United 

 States, no trustworthy or complete official or trade st;itis- 

 tics appear to exist. Certain approximate figures for the 



total pelag:ic catch have, however, been obtained, 

 18 the difference between which and those representing 



the Canadian pelagic catch, compared with other 

 incomplete statistics, may be roughly assumed as showing 

 the catch by United States vessels. These totals include, 

 however, in some cases, skins taken on seizure from both 

 Canadian and United States vessels. The statement thus 

 presented may be considered as at least sufficiently accu- 

 rate to indicate the relative importance and growth of the 

 shore and sea industries respectively. The catches made 

 by United States vessels are comparatively small in pro- 

 portion to the number of vessels emi)loyed, chiefly because 

 of the lack of skilled hunters. 



