278 REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



tion of the fisheries, negotiations have been initiated by our Kingdom of Norway 

 with the Governments of those foreign countries whose inhabitants take part in the 

 said fisheries, and those Governments having now promulgated, or declared their 

 willingness to promulgate, suitable Ordinances to the above efi'ect, and seeing that 

 a certain small number of Swedish ships also take part in the fisheries, and that, in 

 60 far as these Ordinances are calculated to work the desired effect, it is essential 

 that, as has already been ordained elsewhere, the liability for their violation should 

 be of such a character as to outweigh the benefit to be derived from a breach of the 

 law, we have now thought it right, in so far as Sweden is concerned, to participate 

 in the said Agreement, and we have therefore graciously ordained as follows: 



^ 1. In the Arctic Seas, between 67° and 75° north latitude and 5° east and 17° 

 west longitude from Greenwich, all Swedish ships and all Swedish subjects are for- 

 bidden until further notice to kill or catch seal (including the Phoca cristata) earlier 



in the year than the 3rd April. 

 203 $ 2. All persons infringing the Regulations contained in the foregoing par- 



agraph, or being in any manner parties to such infringement, will be liable to 

 a fine of from 200 to 10,000 kronor, with the proviso that, should the said infringe- 

 ment have taken place either in obedience to the orders of the captain of the ship 

 or with his knowledge, or without his having done everything in his power to guard 

 against it, he alone of all the crew shall be liable to the penalty incurred. Of the 

 fines imposed, half goes to the informer and half to the Crown. Failing means to 

 meet the fine, the corresponding legal penalty shall be enforced. 



$ 3. In cases of violation of the prescriptions of this Ordinance, jurisdiction lies 

 with the ordinary Courts. 



Let this be obediently observed by all whom it may concern. For further cer- 

 tainty we have hereunto affixed our hand and seal. 



(Signed) (l. s.) Oscar. 



Stockholm Palace, November SO, 1876. 



204 Appendix (F). 



Particulars of Pelagic Catch of British and United States Sealing- 



VESSELS, 1871-91. 



Memorandum on the Number of Fur-Seal Skins taken at Sea in 1891. 



From the Returns (Table A) compiled by Mr. Milne, the Collector of Customs at 

 Victoria, British Columbia, and from information furnished by Mr. D. Oppenheimer, 

 the Mayor of Vancouver, it appears that the number of British vessels engaged in 

 sealing in 1891 was fifty, and that their total catch for the year was 49,615. These 

 Returns have been compiled with the greatest care. 



With regard to the catch of the United States sealing-vessels for the same year, 

 there is much difficulty in arriving at an estimate of the number of skins taken, 

 owing to the fact that practically no records were kept by the United States Cus- 

 toms authorities of the number of skins landed. The only official Returns supplied 

 to us are those derived from a telegram from the Custom-house at San Francisco to 

 the Treasury Department at Washington (Table B), which gives certain particulars 

 as to the catch of sixteen vessels, and statements from the Collectors of Customs at 

 San Francisco, Port Townsend, Astoria, and San Diego, giving the number of sealing- 

 vessels that cleared from those ports in 1891 (Table C). 



From the latter Table it appears that the number of United States vessels engaged 

 in sealing in 1891 was forty-two, but no details as to their catch are given. 



It has been ascertained that 62.500 seal-skins were sold in London in 1891, under 

 the classification of "North- West," this being the termed used for skins supposed 

 to be taken at sea. 



If we assume that these represent the whole pelagic catch for the season of 1891 

 in all parts of the North Pacific Ocean, and deduct from this number those known to 

 have been taken by British vessels, t. e., 49,615, there remains a balance of 12,885 

 skins to be accounted for. A certain number of these may have been taken by the 

 Indians in canoes on the coasts of Washington, British Columbia, and South-East 

 Alaska, but their number would probably not amount to more than 3,000. This 

 would leave about 10,000 as the catch of the United States sealing-vessels. 



It must, however, be borne in mind that the above figure of 62,500 does not repre 

 sent the total number of skins taken, as a portion of those sent to London are 

 re-exported after having been dressed, and thus would not appear in the sales list, 

 and that, besides, many skins are not sent to London at all to be dressed, but ar« 

 prepared in America. 



