REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 191 



fairly dark uiglit, had come across thirteen dead seals, clubbed the 

 night before. They had lired twenty-five shots to warn off the raiders, 

 and had noticed, incidentally, that these shots did not in the least dis- 

 turb the seals around. 



759. In 1891, we found all the resident oflicials and natives persistent 

 in their complaints of raids, and their reports of schooners hovering 

 around the shores with intent to raid, and of that being reported espe- 

 cially on foggy days. When we first arrived at St. Paul Island, on the 

 morning of Monday, the 27th July, the Treasury Agent, Colonel Murray, 

 came off at once in a boat, and besought us to proceed without delay to 

 the North-east rookery, as shots had been heard there repeatedly on the 

 previous day, and at night close along the shore. Major Williams, the 

 Chief Treasury Agent, and Mr. Kedpath, the manager for the Com- 

 pany, had driven over 12 miles to the North-east rookery to see what 

 could be done. When we went to the Company's house, Mr. Tingle, 

 the general superintendent of the Company, was perpetually working 

 the telephone to ISTorth-east rookery and reporting that schooners were 

 there. The vivid impression produced on us at the time was that what- 

 ever the actual amount of raiding in progress, both Government and 

 Company were absolutely without proper mea'ns to stop it. On the 

 29th July we saw abrigantinesail boldly right past the settlement, but 

 there were no means at hand either to detain or even to identify her. 



In the late autumn the reveuue-cruizer "Bear" remained near the 

 islands for thirty-six days, and then proceeded to coal at Ouiuilaska; 

 the day after she left the islands a steam sloop raided the Great Eastern 

 rookery on Sr. George Island. 



700. Corroborative evidence has been aff'orded in 1891 by the news- 

 paper correspondents who visited Behring Sea. According to their 

 accounts. Captain Alexander Carlson, of San Francisco, had been a 

 persistent raider since 1884. Captani Hansen, in the "Flying Dutch- 

 man" ["Adele,"] perpetrated many raids, until his vessel was wrecked 

 last year. In 1891 he Avished to obtain a coasting clearance for the 

 "Borealis," but his 0])enly-avowed intention to raid led the Collector of 

 Customs at Victoria to refuse him a clearance to Behring Sea, and he 

 went off" to Okotsk Sea. Captain Downs, of the "Hattie Gage," made 

 a sworn affidavit that his mate Adams, who superseded him when he 

 was forcibly put ashore on the Shumagin Islands, was proceeding to make 



raids on the Pribyloff" Islands, and that in 1890 the Cai)tain of 

 130 the "Hattie Gage" had been relieved of the command because 



he refused to make raids ashore. Captain Eeilly, of the "Otto," 

 said that if he had his owner's permission he would willingly make 

 raids. 



701. It will thus be seen that raiding on the Pribyloff Islands has 

 been carried on jiersistently at least since 1868, and that from that date 

 the authorities have known of the raids, and from the earliest time 

 urgently demanded precautions in i)revention. 



702. The evils of raiding are very gieat. It is by far the most de- 

 structive form of sealing, combining all the disadvantages ami none of 

 the advantages of the other forms. The killing is chietly of breeding 

 females, as the raiders cannot penetrate far enough inland to obtain the 

 young bachelors or immature female seals. Thus, the skins they obtain 

 are those of females which are either still Avith pup or are suckling their 

 young. Moreover, the process implies disturbance of the breeding 

 rookeries; the scaring of the seals during their breeding time, male, 

 female, and young; and the stampeding of whole rookeries, whereby, 

 without doubt, there ensues that great killing of helpless pups which 

 we have already reported we obserxed in certain rookeries. 



