400 ARTICLE BY DR. J. A. ALLEN. 



■v^'llicll were killed by buzzards or died of starvation. Captain Bndinfij- 

 ton farther adds tliat "seals in the Antareti<5 regions are practically 

 extinct, and I have ftiveu up the business as being- unprofitable. The 

 whole annual catch for seveu vessels has not exceeded 2,000 skins for 

 the last four years." 



TRISTAN DA CUNHA ISLANDS AND GOUGH ISLAND. 



The Tristan grouj) of islands, situated in the South Atlantic, about 

 midway between South America and the (Jape of Good Hope, was first 

 visited for fur-seals in 1700, by Captain Patten, of the American 

 schooner Industry, of Philadelphia, who secured 5,000 skins. Large 

 numbers are said to have been subsequently obtained there, probably 

 mainly from the smaller islands of the groui). Inaccessible and Night- 

 ingale islands. The latter is apparently still frequented by a few far- 

 seals. 



Gough Island, somewhat to the southward of the Tristan gioup, 

 formerly abounded Avith fur-seals. Captain Morrell, 

 Go.igh Island. writing in 1829, says: "This island used to abound 



with fur-seal and sea elephants; but they were so much annoyed by 

 their relentless persecuters that they have sought nnn-e safe and dis- 

 tant retreats, perhaps some lonely isles in the southern ocean as yet 

 unknown to that fell destroyer, man. These places might be easily 

 found, however, if merchants were willing to risk the expense of the 

 attempt." (Voyages, p. 350.) Pur-seals appear to have survived at 

 Gough Island, however, till the present time. Mr. George Comer states 

 (in his affidavit) that his vessel i)ut six men on the island in 18S7, where 

 they remained nine months, taking about forty or fifty skins. He 

 adds: " Years before the Englisli had had the working of Gough Is- 

 land and had run the business out, so there were practically no seals 

 there." 



PRINCE EDWARD AND CROZET ISLANDS. 



The Prince Edward Islands are situated about 900 miles southe:istof 

 the Cape of Good Hoi)e. Tliey formerly yielded a large supply of both 

 fur-seals and sea-elephants. About 1800 Capt. II. Fanning, in the 

 American ship Catherine, of New York, obtained a full cargo of fur- 

 seals at these islands, as did other vessels the same year. At that 

 time the islands were frequented by vast numbers of seals, but definite 

 statistics respecting the number taken are not available. (Fanning's 

 Voyages, pp. 330 and 338.) 



The Orozet Islands are in the same latitude (about 40° S.) as Prince 

 Edward Islands and Kerguelen Land, and about half 



roze sanis. ^^^^^ between these two groups. The first sealer to 

 visit them was Captain Fanning, in 1805; but, although he found an 

 abundance of fur-seals there, he passed on to the Prince Edward 

 group. Later both sea-elephants and fur-seals were taken in large 

 numbers, seal hunting being carried on here for many years. At Pos- 

 session Island, the largest of the group, Capt. Lindesay Prine, P. N., 

 refers to finding, in 1870, "hundreds of seals, which were resting on the 

 damp grass b ordering on the stream which at this point enters the sea. ' 

 (Geogr. Mag., 1877, p. 207.) 



In 1887, according to George Comer (see his aflidavit), a sealing i>arty 

 was left by him on those islands for five months, but they took only 

 three seals. The I^jnglish at (Jape Town, says Mr. Comer, had recom- 

 mended us to go there, because they said that " formerly they had taken 

 a great nubmer of skins there." 



