214 REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



of Magellan, reports in 1889 tliat tlie American schooners take no notice 

 of tlie interdiction, although only one of them, the " Sarah W. Hunt," 

 has as yet been specifically prohibited from such illegitimate sealing. 

 He also reports that the Chilean Government are contemplating more 

 stringent measures of protection for the few remaining seals. 



879. The Chilean Government has always recognized the value of the 

 seal-fishery, although since the earlier years of the century it has been 

 felt that the seals were nearly extirpated. We have frequent allusions 

 to Government control. Thus, in 1866, Her Majesty's ship "Topaze," 

 visiting the Island of Juan Fernandez, reports ten inhabitants engaged 

 in sealing under licence from the Chilean Government. In 187.5 Her 

 Majesty's ship "Challenger" reports finding a Chilean leasing the right 

 from this Government for 200^. a-year, and employing fifty or sixty men 

 on Juan Fernandez and Masa-Fuera for the purpose of collecting seal- 

 skins. 



880. In all these places, and especially in the districts around the 

 Horn, the enforcement of strict regulations, esijecially instituted 



147 for avoiding the taking of gravid females and disturbance of 

 males, females, and young during the early portion of the period 

 they spend ashore, is certain to permit of a great increase in the supply 

 of fur-seal. 



881. In some of the several British Colonies where the fur-seal is found, 

 specific regulations have been in force for some time x)ast. 



882. In the Falkland Islands there is legislative provision embodied 

 in the Ordinance ISTo. 4 of 1881 for the protection of the fur-seal, which 

 is already having an excellent effect, so far as it can be enforced. Its 

 main provisions (see Appendix E) are a close time from the 1st October 

 to the 1st April, and ])enalties and forfeiture against individual owners 

 of vessels and others killing or permitting to be killed any fur-seals dur- 

 ing those months. 



883. Eecent inquiries made of those experienced in sealing in those 

 islands elicited the invariable opinion that the main causes of the pres- 

 ent depletion has been the reckless and indiscriminate slaughter of the 

 seals whenever they land, and especially during the breeding season. 

 In some cases the stocking of farms and people taking up their abode 

 in the neighbourhood of the seal rookeries has certainly driven the seals 

 to other resorts. But the killing of seals has never been attempted at 

 sea, and is entirely confined to parties of sealers landed from boats and 

 schooners, who club, shoot, and spear the seals on shore. The most 

 serious complaints are that foreign schooners cruize along the coast and 

 land sealing parties regardless of the statutory close season. 



884. Experienced men in the Falkland Islands assert that the fur- 

 seal are known not infrequently to desert favourite landing x^laces when 

 they find they are molested for others where they rest and breed in 

 peace. 



885. The Government of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope has 

 for very many years paid attention to the fur-seals frequenting the 

 coast and islands under its authority. Thus, on the 12th April, 1844, a 

 Proclamation was issued : 



His Excellency the Governor, having been pleased to decide that the Seal Islands 

 in Mossel Bay shall not be granted on lease for the present, hereby prohibits all per- 

 sons from disturbing the seals on the said island, and warns them from trespassing 

 there after this notice on pain of prosecution. 



886. A special Eeport from Mr. C. H. Jackson, the Government Agent 

 in charge of the Seal and Guano Islands (Appendix B), speaks of indis- 

 criminate slaughter on shore as the chief cause of the present deple- 



