344 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



sex of seals by inspection after the skins have been salted, and that any 

 examination at port of entry therefore would be impracticable and use- 

 less. While this denial of an examination at United States ports was 

 not called for by any question propounded in your letter to the British 

 Government, yet as it is couched in such a brusque manner and repeated 

 by the Hon. Mr. Costigan, it would seem to merit a prompt reply by 

 this Department. 



The statement that all skins landed at United States ports during 

 the season of 189 i were examined as to sex by expert inspectors was 

 supposed by this Department to be true wheu it was made in our letter 

 sent to you. Inspectors were duly appointed for this specific purpose 

 and instructed to make such examination, and their returns were on file 

 in the Treasury. It was discovered later, however, that at Port Town- 

 send the inspector although examining and verifying the skins landed, 

 yet made no examination as to sex. On the receipt of this discovery, 

 to wit, on February 21, I immediately notified you, with the request 

 that this fact be communicated to the British Government. I inclose a 

 copy of this letter. It can only be assumed that the British Govern- 

 ment in forwarding to you with its tacit approval the. report of Mr. 

 Costigan containing this brusque denial must have overlooked the fact 

 that it had in its possession at the time the letter of our Government 

 fully explaining the matter. 



I would further state that the Department does not understand the 

 reference contained in said report to the young and inexperienced lad 

 employed by Liebes Bros, in the examination of seal skins at San Fran- 

 cisco. Such an action, if it took place, was wholly unofficial, and had no 

 connection whatsoever with that made by the United States Govern- 

 ment. The official expert employed by this Department at San Fran- 

 cisco is a practical furrier by occupation. He has been engaged 

 constantly and exclusively for the past eleven years in the fur business, 

 and has handled large quantities of salted seal skins and all kinds of 

 raw furs. He was highly recommended by persons well qualified to 

 judge of his ability, and is a man of great experience. Every seal skin 

 landed at San Francisco was carefully examined by him as to sex. 



As to the further statement contained in said communication, that the 

 sex of seals can not be determined after the skins have been removed, 

 I would say that the Treasury Department has consulted experts of rep- 

 utation upon this question and is informed that any ordinarily intelligent 

 person at all acquainted with the subject could in at least seven cases 

 out of ten accurately determine the sex before the skins go to the 

 dresser. That such is an admitted fact will be seen by reference to the 

 inclosed extracts from the testimony before the Tribunal of Arbitra- 

 tion at Paris, which I will thank you to return after reading. 



I also inclose for your information a copy of a Treasury circular giv- 

 ing, instructions to customs officers as to ascertainment of sex. 



I would further state that in a previous communication I requested 

 you to obtain the consent of the British Government to the appoint- 

 ment of expert inspectors to examine all skins landed at British Colum- 

 bian ports. The reason for this request was that there is a great 

 discrepancy in the British and American returns made by sealers as to 

 the proportion of females killed, the American sealers reporting a very 

 much greater proportion than the British. Although in many instances 

 the British sealers were close to the Americans, yet the Americans 

 reported from two to five times as many females as males, a result 

 entirely at conflict with the British returns. Certain masters, more- 

 over, of British vessels in Bering Sea explained to the agent of the 



