26 PERIOD FOLLOWING THE TREATIES. 



quished her clear right to protect her seal herds 



on their way to and from their breeding- grounds. 



Evidence of Even as to the whalers this much is certain: 



surveillance over 



Bering Sea. their movements were, after the year 1850, or 



thereabouts, closely watched; and in support of 

 this, and of the broader proposition that a 

 general surveillance was exercised over the colo- 

 nial seas, the following evidence is offered. 



It appears that in 1849 foreign whalers visited 

 the Pribilof Islands. This evoked from the 

 board of administration of the Russian American 

 Company a letter to the chief manager, dated 

 July 13, 1850, in which it is said: "At the 

 same time the board of administration ex- 

 pects that you, like your predecessor, have 

 taken all necessary measures for guarding the 

 Pribilof Islands, which are of such importance to 

 the Company, from a repetition of similar attempts 

 on the part of foreigners. In future, and until 

 the clearing of those waters from whalers by 

 means of a cruiser, of whose sending the 

 board has already received information, you are 

 directed to order the Company's cruisers to pay 

 particular attention to the Pribilof Islands." 1 



On the 18th of April, 1852, the board of admin- 

 istration again wrote the chief manager concern- 

 ing the visits of foreign whalers, and stated that 



1 Post, p. 199. 



