118 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



In the year 1800 the fur-seal business appears to have been at its height at the Georgian islands, where, in the single season, 112.000 

 fnr-seals are reported to have been taken, of which 57,000 were secured by a single American vessel (the Aspasia, nnder Captain Fanning). 

 Vancouver, at about this date, reported the existence of large numbers of fur-seals on the southwest coast of New Holland. Attention 

 was at once turned to this new fteld, and in 1804 the brig Union, of New York, Capt. Isaac Pendleton, visited this part of the Australian 

 coast, but not finding these animals there in satisfactory numbers, repaired to Border's island, where he secured only part of a cargo 

 (14,000 skins), owing to the lateness of the season. Later 60,000 were obtained at Antipodes island. About 180(i the American ship 

 Catharine, of New York (Capt. H. Fanning), visited the Crozette islands, where they lauded, and found vast numbers of fur-seals, but 

 obtained their cargo from Prince Edward island, situated a few hundred miles southeast of the cape of Good Hope, where other vessels 

 Ilie same year obtained full cargoes. 



In 1830 the supply of fur-seals in the southern seas had so greatly decreased, that the vessels engaged in this enterprise " generally 

 made losing voyages, from the fact that those places which were the resort of seals", says Capt. Benjamin Pendleton, " had been abandoned 

 by them, or cut off from them", so that the discovery of new sealing-grounds was needed. Undiscovered resorts were believed to exist, 

 from the fact that large numbers of fur-seals were seeii while cruising far out at sea, which must repair once a year to some favorite 

 breeding-station.* 



Captain Weddell states, that during the years 1820 and 1821 over 300,000 fur-seals were taken at the South Shetland islands alone, 

 and that at the end of the second year the species had there become almost exterminated. In addition to the number killed for their furs, 

 he estimates that not less than 100,000 newly-born young died in consequence of the destruction of their mothers. 



So indiscriminate was the slaughter, that whenever a seal reached the beach, of whatever denomination, it was immediately killed. 

 Mr. Scott states, on the authority of Mr. Morris, an experienced sealer, that a like indiscriminate killing was carried on at Antipodes island, 

 off the coast of New South Wales, from which island alone not less than 400,000 skins were 'obtained during the years 1814 and 1815. A 

 single ship is said to have taken home 100,000 in bulk, which, through lack of care in curing, spoiled on the way, and on the arrival of 

 the ship in London the skins were dug out of the hold and sold as manure! At about the same time there was a similar wasteful and 

 indiscrimiuate.slaughter of fur-seals at the Aleutian islands, where for some years they were killed at the rate of 200,000 a year, glutting 

 the market to such an extent that the skins did not bring enough to defray the expenses of transportation. Later, the destruction of fur- 

 seals at those islands was placed under rigid restrictions (see infra the general history of the northern fur-seal), in consequence of which 

 undue decrease has been wisely prevented. But nowhere else has there been a systematic protection of the fur-seals, or any measures taken 

 to prevent wasteful or undue destruction. 



THE SUBJECT IN 1873. The above embodies Allen's gleaning of all that he could learn touching the subject. 

 In 1873 I published the following : 



The government of Buenos Ayres has, from the first, protected and cared for a small rookery of fur-seals nnder the bluffs at Cabo 

 Corrientes, on its coast, where some 5,000 to 8,000 arc annually taken, but the seals here have no hauliug-grounds like those on St. Paul; 

 they are taken with much labor under the high cliffs of this portion of the coast. This is the only government aid and care that this seals 

 have ever received outside of Bering sea. The following extract shows the way in which the fur-seals of the South came into notice : 



"Soon after Captain Cook's voyage in the Resolution, performed in 1771, he presented an official report concerning New Georgia, in 

 which he gave an account of the great number of elephant-seals and fur-seals which he had found on the shores of that island. This 

 induced several enterprising merchants to fit out vessels to take them ; the former for their oil, the latter for their skins. Captain Weddell 

 states that he had been credibly informed, that during a period of about fifty years, not less than 20,000 tons of oil were procured annually 

 from this spot alone for the London market, which, at a moderate price, would yield about 1,000,000 a year. 



"Seal-skins are very much used in their raw state as articles of apparel by the natives of the polar zones; when tanned, they are used 

 extensively in making shoes; and the Eskimo have a process by which they make them water-proof (?), so that, according to Scoresby, 

 the jackets and trousers made of them by these people are in great request among the whale-fishers for preserving them from oil and wet. 

 But the skins are not only used in this raw and tanned state as leather; on account of their silky and downy covering they constitute still 

 more important articles connected with the fur-trade. Thus considered, seal-skins are of two kinds, which may be distinguished ashair- 

 skius and/r-skins. The former are used as clothing and ornament by the Kussians, Chinese, and other nations, and the latter yield a fur 

 which we believe exceeds in value all others which have been brought into the market. Many seals supply nothing but hair, while others 

 in different proportions produce both the hair and, underneath it, soft and downy fur. The majority, we believe, are to be considered 

 merely as hair-skins, similar to the bear or sable, and of these some are excellent of their kind, and much prized." (Hamilton : Amphibiout 

 Mammalia, Edinburgh, 1839.) 



It may be considered superfluous to read a lecture to the trader upon a matter so nearly touching his own interest, and yet there is 

 one point, at the same time, which forms so essential a part of my subject, that I cannot withhold a word or two. These valuable creatures 

 (fur-seals) have often been found frequenting some sterile islands in innumerable multitudes. By way of illustration, I shall refer only 

 to the fur-seal as occurring in South Shetland. On this barren spot their numbers were such that it has been estimated that it could have 

 continued permanently to furnish a return of 100,000 furs a year; which, to say nothing of t'.ie public benefit, would have yielded annually a 

 very handsome sum to the adventurers. But what do these men do ? lu t wo short years, 1821 and 1822, so great is the rush that 1 hey destroy 

 3JO,000. They killed all, and spared none. The moment an animal lauded, though big with young, it was destroyed. Those on shore 

 were likewise immediately dispatched, though the cubs were but a day old. These, of course, all died, their number, at the lowest 

 calculation, exceeding 100,000. No wonder, then, at the end of the second year, the animals in this locality were nearly extinct. So is it 

 in other localities, and so with other seals, and so with the oil-seals, and so with the whale itself, every addition only making bad worse. 

 All this might easily be prevented by a little less barbarous and revolting cruelty, and by a little more enlightened selfishness. 



With regard to this seal-fishery of the south, the English and Americans have exclusively divided it between them, and with very 

 great profits. It has lately been stated (1839) that they together employ not fewer than sixty vessels in the trade, of from 2,";P to 300 tons 

 burden. These vessels are strongly built, and have each six boats, like those of the whalers, together with a small vessel of 40 tons, which 

 is put in requisition when they reach the scene of their operations. The crew consists of about 24 hands, their object being to select a 

 fixed locality from which to make their various bateaux. Thus it is very common for the ship to be moored in some secure bay and be 

 partially unrigged, while at the same tirno the furnaces, try-pots, etc., required for making the oil are placed on shore. The little cutter 

 is then rigged and manned with about half the crew, who sail about the neighboring islands and send a few men here and there on shore, 

 where they may see seals or wish to watch for them. The campaign frequently lasts for three years, and in the midst of unheard-of 

 privations and dangers. Some of the crew arc sometimes left on distant, barren spots, the others being driven off by storms. They are 

 left to perish or drag out for years a most precarious and wretched existence.! 



"Fanning: royages, p. 487. t Robert Hamilton: Amphibious Mammalia, Edinburgh, 1839. 



