88 TESTIMONY 



In regard to the broad question of the protection of the seal life at 

 our possessions in the Bering Sea, I have clear and decided views. I 



think there has been a criminal waste of this most 

 ^_ Criminal waste of p^^ecious auiuia] life, and tliat the whole recent era of 



destruction should have been averted by the prompt 

 and forcible interference of the Government. It is a great industry, 



that deserves the fullest protection, whether the Gov- 

 ^jn.tection i.cces- ei'ument and people of the United States, or those of 



Great Britain, or Canada, or Russia, are concerned. 

 All have interests more or less in common in the iierpetuation of the 

 seal life and the preservation of this industry. The destruction of the 

 seals results only in loss to all. When they are gone, there are no 

 longer any seals to quarrel over and no need of the modus vivendi. I 

 believe that our Government should have sought the cooperation of that 

 of Eussia, and that they should jointly have thrown a powerful fleet into 

 those waters and protected the common interest. There is no question 

 in my mind but that a vast deal of the destruction which has been going 

 Peia"icseaiin"^ ou in rcceut ycars is directly due to the lawless killing 

 e agic sea ing. ^^^ ^^^^ ojjeu sca OU the annual migrations of the female 

 seals northward to the seal islands for the purpose of bearing their 

 young, and later, on their voyages from the rookeries to the adjacent 

 Ashing banks in search of food. You can no more preserve the seal 



life at these islands with these destructive methods in 

 ^_ Wholesale destruc- ^^^.^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^j^^ prcscrvc a band of sheep or any 



race of domestic animals by tnrning loose a pack of 

 evolves to raid them between their pasture grounds and their corrals, 

 A fur-seal is an animal of high and flue organism, with wonderful deli- 

 cacy and sensitiveness, and however much attached to their natnral 

 land habitat they may be, are easily driven therefrom by violent meth- 

 ods, whether upon land or in the water.. The whole 

 sa^y"*^''^""' ^'^^''^^' secret, in my judgment, of the preservation of the seal 

 life at the Pribilof Islands and in the Bering Sea lies 

 in a prompt return to those early methods of preservation which pro- 

 duced such marvelous results for good dnring the earlier years of our 

 possession of the islands. The suppression of unlawful 

 tiot'^snl^JiUah'^"^'^' a^^^ miscellaneous seal killing, whether in the open sea 

 or along our northern coasts, is the essential thing, in 

 my judgment, to resuscitate this great industry and prevent the utter 

 extermination of the seal life. 



To one like myself, having a practical knowledge of the subject, de- 

 rived from close personal observation and study on the ground, it is 

 amazing that there should have been so much delay on the part of the 

 countries most concerned, in arriving at a full agreement for the ade- 

 quate i)rotection of this unique and valuable industry. Indiscriminate 

 poaching has only resulted in injury to the common interest, benefiting 

 only the few lawless poachers who have been suttered to invade what 

 should be treated as sacred marine territory. 



I desire to add that I have not now, and never have had, any pecun- 

 iary or propertv interest whatever, directly <n' indirectly, in the scaling 

 industry, and that I look upon this question simply as an American 

 citizen desirous of seeing that which belongs to our Government and 

 people defended and protected to the uttermost. 



Harrison Gray Otis. 

 Subscribed and sworn to before me this 25th day of April, 1892. 

 [l. s.] Frederick Harkness, 



Kotary Fuhlic. 



