124 REGULATIONS PROPOSED. 



Licenses apply the Victoria sealing fleet. Of all these vessels 



only to half of 



hunters. but three had white seamen (p. 205). It can, 



therefore, be assumed that at least 360 of the In- 

 dians were hunters or canoemen; and, as but two 

 Indians go in a canoe, 1 180 of the 369 boats and 

 canoes given in the table contained Indian hunt- 

 ers, so that this general " improvement" proposed 

 would only affect one-half of the hunting force 

 of the Victoria fleet. Besides this, the system of 

 licenses proposed, the United States contend, 

 could not be made effective, even if it covered all 

 classes of hunters. 



increased H- The third "improvement" suggested is to in- 

 cense tor steam ± ocl 



vessels of no value, crease the license fee for "vessels propelled by 

 machinery." As but two out of fifty of the Vic- 

 toria fleet appear, by the table in the Report 

 (p. 205), to have used machinery in 1891, and as 

 their catches were but 50 and 385 skins, respec- 

 tively, while the average per vessel is shown by 

 the table to have been nearly 1,000, it is impossi- 

 ble to see how such a restriction would be par- 

 ticularly beneficial. It has also been stated by 

 those interested in pelagic sealing at Victoria 

 that the steam vessels used in seal-hunting have 

 never paid expenses. 2 



'Appendix to Case of the United States, Vol. I, pp. 498, 504; 

 Vol. II, pp. 317, 326, 369, etc. 



2 Report of Special Agent Henry, post p. 246. 



