REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 213 



not think that 100 seals could be procured from all the localities men- 

 tioned by a close research." 



873. According to authentic records, the sealers from New London 

 obtained from the South Shetland s and the neighbourhood of Cape 

 Horn and Tierra del Fuego 92,756 fur-seal skins between the years 1870 

 and 1880, but sealers are still at work, by their wasteful and indiscrim- 

 inate slaughter, preventing the fur-seal of the South Seas from recup- 

 erating and being restored in numbers. 



874. Thus, the actual experiences of South Sea sealing unmistakably 

 emphasize the serious dangers of indiscriminate and wholesale slaughter 

 on shore, and prove conclusively that, in the entire absence of pelagic 

 sealing, it is i>erfectly possible practically to exterminate the seal race. 



875. This serious result, actually achieved, is brought into still greater 

 prominence when we bear in mind the measures adopted by several 

 Governments of territories in the Southern Hemisphere, by special reg- 

 ulations or otherwise, to restore and preserve the fur-seal rookeries. 

 The Governments which have set uj) such regulations are those of the 

 Uruguay, Argentine, and Chilean Eepublics, and of the British Colo- 

 nies of the Falkland Islands, the Cape of Good Hope, Victoria, New 

 Zealand, and Tasmania. 



870. In the Uruguay Republic, for many years the Government have 

 protected the seals resorting for breeding purposes to the Lobos, the 

 Es])inil]o, and the Coronilla Islands. 



According to a special report, furnished to us by Your Majesty's 

 Minister, Mr. Satow, these fisheries have been very carefully looked 

 after. They are now leased to a private company for a term of years, 

 but without limitation of the numbers to be taken. The company have 

 the sole right of taking seals, and there is no Government tax levied 

 on the skins. The killing of seals is only permitted between the 1st 

 June and the 15th October in each year. All the seals are killed on 

 shore, chiefly by means of clubs, and there is no pelagic fishing. It is 

 the general opinion that no diminution is observable in the number of 

 seals frequenting the rookeries. Mr. Lafone, M, P., has kindly supplied 

 us with much very valuable information. The chief rookeries have 

 been, to his knowledge, in good condition for more than forty years 

 past. In Appendix (G) we give the figures of the numbers actually 

 taken in recent years, from which it will be seen that the average 

 annual take, with no apparent injury to the numbers of seals frequent- 

 ing the rookeries, is nearly 15,000 seals; but that of these more than 

 one-third are " small pups." In 1888 strong representations were made 

 against killing pups. It may be added that in the medium sizes many 

 females are included A^ithout injuriously affecting the total number of 

 the seals. 



877. In 1889 the Government of the Argentine Republic absolutely 

 forbad the taking of seals along its coasts, and also commenced negoti- 

 ations with Chile for co-operation in the same direction, especially with 

 the view to stopping United States vessels which habitually poached 

 on the rookeries, notably the "Sarah W. Hunt" and the "Martha 

 Gale." 



878. The Chilean Government has from time to time considered the 

 question of protecting the fur-seals. In 1883 they abstained from enforc- 

 ing regulations. Up to 1889 the seal fishery was free to any Chilean 

 subject or foreigner residing in the country, but not open to vessels and 

 their crews coming from foreign countries. It has, however, been found 

 hitherto impracticable to guard the fishing districts during the breed- 

 ing season, and the British Vice-Consul at Punta Arenas, in the Straits 



