THE SALVATION OF THE ALASKAN FUR SEAL 



HERD 



BY HEXRV W. ELLIOTT 



HEN I returned in 1874 to the Mr. Windom's hands on November 19, 



Smithsonian Institution, after 1890. 

 spending the seasons of 1872-74 I reported that I had found a "scant 



on the Seal Islands of Alaska as the million" of seals in the herd which num- 



agent of that establishment and of the bered 4,700,000 in 1872-74. I urged 



Treasury Department, I submitted the an immediate suspension of all work 



results of my investigations and my col- of the lessees and submitted those rec- 



lections to Professors Henry and Baird. ords of that killing which warranted this 



One of the most interesting of the suspension. I also asked that steps be 

 returns was my census of the fur seal taken to induce Great Britain to co-op- 

 herd, whereby I exhibited proof that erate ^'ith us at once so as to prevent 

 at least 4,700,000 seals of all classes any and all pelagic sealing, which had 

 were in existence on and around the suddenly become since 1886 a positive 

 Pribilof Islands during the summer of and certain menace to the life of the 

 1874. The complete elaboration and herd. 



publication of . this work was made in 1 objected to the claims being made 



1880-81, and published by the 10th Cen- 1>y ^'r. Blaine of certain jurisdiction 



sus, U. S. A., Vol. VIII, and by the over th e open waters of Bering Sea and 



U. S. Commission of Fish and Fish- of a property right in the bodies of the 



eries, as Special Bulletin 176, 1882. seals no matter where and when they 



In 1889, when the subject of whether wer j; . fou , nd at sea - I was so insistent 



the lease should be renewed on the same on f hl * objection that I parted company 



general terms as had been fixed in the Wlt ' ^ taTy t Blame A P r 1 l1 ,f 1891 ' 



first one dated May 1, 1870, a dispute an<1 withdrew from any and a 1 connec- 



arose as to the condition of this seal tlon with the Government in the prepa- 



herd, and the number of seals which tlon a " d submission of the case to the 



could be safely killed annually by the P e ? P ? bea ^ nbunal at Paris > 1891 - 93 > 



-, rp, fj i inclusive. 



lessees. 1 he old lease permitted a maxi- ^p, . , . . . ., 



mum of 100,000 per annum: but the The result of he work of that tnbu- 



agent of the department in 1899, re- " a1 ' when If/ * SC ! S ? d I' V"? / 



, ,, MI the season of 1894, declared its flat fail- 



ported that it was not possible or proper ,, r , . , .. . , , 



, -,, ,, A , uie to save the fur seal herd of Alaska 



to kill more ban 60,000 in 1890, and from the destruction k was tQ m 



that that number should be fixed as the Then ensued att ts to re _ * en and 



maximum in the new lease, to date from reyise these abortiv j, rules ^ regula- 

 tions of the Bering Sea Tribunal begun 



Secretary Windom, accordingly, so in 1895 by Governor Dingley in the 



ordered it. His action stirred up bitter House and renewed by him in 1896, only 



criticism by the new lessees. He there- to end in the failure of each and every 



fore sent for me and asked me to make move made to that end, until John Hay 



an investigation of the conditions as I took the subject up in 1900-1904 with 



should find them on the islands. An me. The Act of April S, 1904, which 



Act of Congress approved April 22, re-opened and provided for a revision 



1874, was my warrant for going as Sec- of the Bering Sea Tribunal's award, 



retary Windom's special agent for that was secured by my active personal work 



purpose. I landed on the Seal Islands and I was then asked by Mr. Hay to 



May 21, 1890, and went to work. I re- frame up a treaty of settlement for this 



turned and placed the finished report in vexatious dispute. 



