394 ARTICLE BY DR. J. A. ALLEN. 



tho fur son 1 rosorts above TiioTitioiiod tliere are i^ovf not oiioiigh Seals 

 left to make it worth while to atteini)t to capture them. At all of theiri 

 the slaughter has been indiscriminate and to the highest degree im- 

 provident; since, if the killing had been wisely regulated, tens ol 

 thousands of seals might have been taken annually at each of a dozen 

 to twenty of the larger rookeries without any uudue decrease in the 

 seal population. 



In contrast to this may be cited not only the history of the seal 



rookeries in Bering Sea, but those at Lobos Island, 

 eriment protectiou.'" Auckland Islaud, and on the west coast of South Africa, 



where the killing has been more or less stringently reg- 

 ulated by the several Goverments to whose Jurisdiction these seal 

 rookeries pertain. 



In the following pages a succin.ct general history is given of each of 

 the principal rookeries and fur-sealing grounds of the Southern hem- 

 isphere.^ 



FALKLAND ISLANDS. 



The first cargo of fur-seal skins obtained at the Falkland Island?, or 

 probably from anywhere south of the erpiator, ap]>ears to have been 

 secured by the American ship States from Boston, about the year 1784. 

 In 1792 several vessels obtained full cargoes of fur-seal skins at these 

 islands, and they were visited by one or more vessels nearly every year 

 as late as 1800, and subsequently at less frequent intervals till the pres- 

 ent time. At the Falklands fur-seals were less abuncbuit than at 

 many of the islands ott'the coast of Chile and elsewhere in the S(nithern 

 Seas. Yet the vessels which first visited them seem to have found lit- 

 tle difficulty in securing good cargoes of fur-seal skins. Later the 

 rookeries liccame nearly exterminated. According to the afiftdavit of 

 Capt. James W. Buddiugtou, a close season, lasting from October to 

 April, was established in 1881, but owing to the gi-anting of licenses 

 for killing during the close season the ordinance was of little benefit to 

 the seals. About 1886 the annual catch varied from fifty to five hun- 

 dred skins. So far as our knowledge extends there are still a few lur- 

 seals left at these islands. 



MAS-l-FUERO. 



The island of Mas-a-Fuero, situated off the coast of Chile, in latitude 

 34° S. (about 400 miles west of Valparaiso), wheu first discovered, in 

 1563, swarmed with fur-seals. The islaiut apjiears to hav^e been fir.st 

 visited for fur-seals by the ship Eliza, Capt. William It. Stewart, of 

 New York, in 1792. This vessel secured a cargo of 38,000 skins, which 

 were taken to Canton and sold for $10,000. "in 1798 Capt. Edward 

 Fanning, of the ship Bctsei/, from New York, took 100,000 seal skins 

 to the Canton maiket, nearly all of which were obtained at Mas a- 

 Fuero. He estimated that at the time of his leaving Mas-a-Fuero there 

 were still left on the island between 500,000 and 700,000 Seals. (Voy- 

 ages, etc., pp. 117, 118.) 



' In comiiilinij; this statoinoiit uinch use li;is boon mado, of tlie statistics and other 

 information first pnhlishcd by Mr. A. Howard (MMrl<, in Prof. G. Brown ({oodc's 

 "Thtt Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United .St;ites." (Sec section v, vol. 

 II, 1887, PI). 100-407.) The earlier history is based upon the authorities <^i\en 

 pamim, but the information relatinu; to tho recent history and present condition of 

 the Southern fur-seal rookeries is i»ased on the a,lQdavits of masters of sealinj; ves- 

 sels and others i^njjan<ul in fur-seal iishini; <)r iu the fur-seal trade, taken by the 

 Departnieut of State of the United States. 



