ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 143 



amounts paid for cutting and making up in respect to the skins sent to 

 the United States. 



Deponent further says that the preservation of the seal herds and 

 the continued supply of fur-seal skins, which furthermore, it is impor- 

 tant should be constant and regular in supply, is absolutely necessary 

 to the maintenance of this industry. Deponent says that the reason 

 for this opinion is shown in the history of last season's business. For 

 instance, at the October sale the prices of skins were very high, as a 

 short supply was expected. The skins purchased at that sale were 

 then put into the hands of the dressers and dyers, where they would 

 be retained, as above stated, in process of treatment four or five months. 

 During this interval it appeared that instead of there being a short 

 supply the poaching vessels had caught a large number of skins, 50,000 

 or 60,000, which, being unexpectedly plumped on the market, brought 

 the price down so that there was a loss of perhaps 25 shillings per skin 

 on the skins bought at the October sales ; and deponent further says 

 that it is of course obvious that the business can not be maintained 

 unless the herds are preserved from the destruction which has over- 

 taken the South Sea herds, which formerly existed in such large num- 

 bers, and so important has the seal-skin business become that if the 

 herds were exterminated deponent says it would hardly be worth while 

 to remain in the fur business. 



Deponent says while he does not wish to express any opinion upon 

 the matters which are in controversy, that nevertheless, looking at the 

 question of preserving the seals from a natural-history point of view 

 alone, and having no regard whatever to the rights of any individuals 

 or nations, but looking at the matter simply from the point of view of 

 how best to preserve the seals, he has no hesitation in saying that the best 

 way to accomplish that object would be to prohibit absolutely the kill- 

 ing of all seals except upon the islands, and furthermore to limit the 

 killing of seals on the islands to the male species at particular times, 

 and to limit the numbers of the males to be so killed. If, however, the 

 rights of individuals are to be considered, and sealing in the open sea 

 is to be allowed, then deponent thinks that the number of vessels to 

 be sent out by each country ought to be limited, and the number of 

 seals which may be caught by each vessel should be specified. 



Deponent says that one reason why he thinks the killing of seals in 

 the open sea should be prohibited, and all killing limited to the islands, 

 is because deponent is of the opinion that when seals are killed in the 

 open sea a large number must be killed which are not recovered, and 

 consequently that the herds must suffer much greater loss than is 

 measured by the skins of the seals caught or coming to market. 



Deponent further says that one reason for this opinion is that he has 

 had some small experience in shooting hair seals in the Scilly Islands, 

 and has himself personally killed hair seals at a distance of 40 or 50 

 yards which sank before he could reach them. Hair seals are of the 

 same general family as fur seals, and he has no doubt that the same 

 thing occurs and must occur when the fur seals are killed on the open 

 sea. 



HERBEBT SHELLEY BEVINGTON, M. A. 



