128 SEALS AND SEA-LIONS 



1880. " Pelagic sealing" means the killing of Fur-Seals, 

 male or female, in the open sea, by means of guns or spears. 

 It is an exceedingly wasteful and destructive method, but it 

 had been going on in a quiet way for many years. On land, 

 only male Seals are killed. In the sea, about four females 

 were killed to every male taken, and the pups on shore were 

 left to starve. In 1880 the total number of Seals taken at 

 sea in Bering Sea was only 8,418; but from that time on the 

 killing increased rapidly and became fearfully destructive. 



1882. Up to this time the great Seal herd of Bering Sea 

 was in a state of equilibrium, and yielded on the islands its 

 annual quota of 100,000 "bachelor" Seals without sensible 

 variation. The number killed at sea in 1882 was 15,551. 



The Period of Contention 



1886. The catch of Seals at sea rose to 28,494. Of the 

 large fleet of vessels then hunting Seals in Bering Sea, a num- 

 ber were seized by the United States Government vessels 

 which were guarding the islands. These were chiefly Cana- 

 dian schooners, but some were American. 



1887. The pelagic sealing fleet was increasing each year. 

 The United States began negotiations with six foreign govern- 

 ments with a view to securing co-operation in saving the Seals 

 from the extermination which threatened them at the hands of 

 the "poachers." 



1890. The lease of the Alaska Commercial Company ter- 

 minated, and the North American Commercial Company bid 

 successfully for the new lease of the Seal-taking privilege on 

 the Pribilof Islands. According to the calculations of Mr. 



