204 TESTIMONY RELATING TO THE RUSSIAN SEAL ISLANDS. 



a military force on the islands, wliicli was removed every fall, but so 



early that marauders came there nearly ever year after it had left and 



killed all the seals they were able to obtain, so nearly destroying the 



rookeries that we found it inexpedient to continue sealing after 1884 



during the remainder of our lease. 



I am satisfied that the seal herds respectively upon the Pribilof 



group, the Commander Islands, and Robben Bank 



kan herds do^not mill- liavc cach their owu distinctive feeding grounds and 



si*^- peculiar rounds of migration. No doubt they are of 



the same species, but there is a marked difference in the fur of the 



. ^ skins fi'om the rcvspective places, which can be distin- 



Diifereuco in fur. • i t i . ' 



guished by experts. 



G. NiEBAUM. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 29th day of April, A. D. 

 3892. 

 [l. s.] Clement Bennett, 



Notary Public. 



The following table prepared by Hutchinson, Kohl, Philipeus & Co., 

 of San Francisco, lessees of the right to take fur-seals upon the Com- 

 mander and Robben Islands, shows the number of seal skins secured 

 annually from these respective islands from 1871 to 1891: 



State of California, 



City and County of San Francisco, ss : 



I, Clement Bennett, a Kotary Public in and for said city and comity, 

 residing therein, duly commissioned and sworn, do hereby certify that 

 the above tabulated statement is that to which Gustave Niebauin refers 

 in his aflidavit, of which this is made a part. 



In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and aflixed my oih- 

 cial seal, at my office in the city and county of San Francisco, State of 

 California, this 29th day of April, A. D. 1892. 



[l. S.J Clement Bennett, 



Notary ruhlic. 



