246 THE FUE SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



sealing, and the death of the mothers is fast tending to exterminate the seal from the ocean, and that 

 unless some steps are promptly taken to stop pelagic sealing, which under the present conditions can. 

 not he profitahle to the sealers, the herd will soon he entirely exterminated and destroyed, and I 

 submit that the only means of preserving the seals from entire extinction is to absolutely put an end 

 to pelagic sealing, which it ought not to he difficult to bring about by mutual agreement, due regard 

 being had to the interests of all parties concerned. 



And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue 

 of the provisions of the statutory declarations act, 1835. 



WALTER MARTIN. 



Declared at No. 4 Lambeth Hill, in the city of London, this 16th day of September, 1897, 

 before me. 



JOHN D. VENN, Notary Public. 



NOTE. Attached thereto are the official certificates of John Venn, notary public, of the city of 

 London, and William M. Osborne, consul-general of the United States, with their ollicial seab. 



PROHIBITION OF THE KILLING OF FUE SEALS IN THE WA TEES OF THE NORTH PA CIFIC 

 OCEAN, AND OF THE IMPORTATION OF FUR-SEAL SKINS TAKEN IN SUCH WATERS. 



TREASURY DEPARTMENT, 



OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, 



Washington, D. C., December 30, 1897. 

 To Collectors and other Officers of the Customs : 



The following act, prohibiting the killing of fur seals in the waters of the North 

 Pacific Ocean, and the regulations made thereunder are published for the information 

 and guidance of all concerned : 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of 

 America in Congress assembled, That no citizen of the United States, nor person owing- 

 duty of obedience to the laws or the treaties of the United States, nor any person 

 belonging to or on board of a vessel of the United States, shall kill, capture, or hunt, 

 at any time or in any manner whatever, any fur seal in the waters of the Pacific 

 Ocean north of the thirty-fifth degree of north latitude and including Bering Sea and 

 the sea of Okhotsk. 



SEC. 2. That no citizen of the United States, nor person above described in 

 section one, shall equip, use, or employ, or furnish aid in equipping, using or 

 employing, or furnish supplies to any vessel used or employed, or to be used or 

 employed in carrying on or taking part in said killing, capturing, or hunting of fur 

 seals in said waters, nor shall any vessel of the United States be so used or employed. 



SEC. 3. That every person guilty of a violation of the provisions of this Act, or 

 of any regulations made thereunder, shall, for each offense, be fined not less than two 

 hundred dollars or more than two thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than six 

 months, or both; and every vessel, its tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargo, at any 

 time used or employed in violation of this Act, or of the regulations made thereunder, 

 shall be forfeited to the United States. 



SEC. 4. That if any vessel of the United States shall be found within the waters 

 to which this Act applies, having on board fur-seal skins or bodies of seals, or 

 apparatus or implements suitable for killing or taking seals, it shall be presumed 

 that such vessel was used or employed in the killing of said 'seals, or that said 



