PERIOD FOLLOWING THE TREATIES. 29 



While it does not appear from any of the fore- Conclusions 



from foregoing 



going documents to what distance from the shores evidence, 

 of Bering Sea Russia actually sought to protect 

 her colonies against inroads from foreigners, yet 

 there is nothing to show that she had in the 

 meanwhile receded from the position taken in the 

 ukase of 1821 and sanctioned, as the United 

 States claim, by the resulting treaties. On the 

 contrary, the broad language in which a patrol 

 of the colonial seas is directed to be instituted, 

 especially about the Pribilof and Commander 

 Islands, strongly suggests that even at this late 

 period Russia was still safeguarding her colonial 

 interests by all necessary means. 



It is true, no instance appears to have been 

 recorded where a vessel was warned or seized 

 for actually killing fur-seals in the waters of 

 Bering Sea. But in view of what we know of 

 Russia's solicitude and care for her sealeries, 

 especially in the years following 1836, it can not 

 be doubted that such killing, had it occurred, 

 would have been regarded as unlawful. In mak- 



Russia's .action 



ing this assertion the United States believe they iu 1892 - 

 are fully sustained by Russia's action during the 

 summer of 1892. In that year sealing vessels 

 assembled in great numbers about the Com- 

 mander Islands and killed far-seals in the extra- 

 territorial waters surrounding this group. Russia, 



