TAKEN TN SAN FRANCISCO. 455 



froqnoiitly offer "hlnck ])ni)s" for sale, but only 8nch an tliey liave 



removed from tlio womb of tlie mother seal. The breeding seals, as far 



as I can learn from extended in(iuiry, do not come npon land, except at 



then- rejiular roolccries, and there are none of those ont- 



sidc of the Eerin.^- Sea islands and Kobben linuk. thSin^^' ""^^ °" 



Yonnj>' seals are sometimes driven for a few honrs by 



stress of weather into the inlets about the Straits of Fuca and vicinity. 



The seals to which I have thns far had reference are 

 known to myself and to the trade as the Northwest AL^k'^a^seSo.irioai 

 ('oast seals, somctimt^s also calh^d "Victorias." This auddi'iier'noni otiK.r 

 herd bclon-s solely to the Pribilof Islands, and is ''"'■'''■ 

 easily (iistini;uishable by the fur from the fur-seals of the other north- 

 ern rookeries, atul still easier iVom those of the south. All expert seal- 

 skin assorters are able to tell one from the other of either of these dif- 

 ferent herds. Each has its own characteristics and values. 



Owiiift- to the decrease of fur-seals on our own coast marine hunters 

 have, dnring- the last few years, turned their attention n.mtiiK- b <■ i n c 

 lo tlie Asiatic waters, and are now hunting;- them tiinisivne";! to Asiatic 

 t here. These Asiatic seals have tlu^ir breeding grounds ""^'^"*- 

 on the Commander Islands and liobben Banks. Last year several ad- 

 ditions were made to the Asiatic fleet and large catches Avere secured 

 in those waters, including the fitting out of stili further expeditions this 

 season for the sanui l)usiiu>.ss. The distance is so great from this coast, 

 and tyi)hoons are so liable to be encountered, that much laigcr vessels 

 are (ittcd out and c(|ni])ped with more l)oats to each vessel tiian on the 

 vVmerican side of the racilic. Unless restricted, they will in a very 

 few years, by the destru(;tion of the breeding seals, dei)lete these rook- 

 eries, as they have those of Alaska, in fact, two years ago last year 

 this depletion had ali-eady become ap])arent, and 

 last year the Iiussian oflic(!r in (diarge ordei'cd the r„ou>ils"" ''"''"'''" 

 caieh to l)e reduced. 1 feel convinced, and it is the 

 opinion ot otlieis f imiliar with the business, that it will be impossible 

 tor the company having the ])rivilege of sealing there to take this year 

 even the ;JO,000 to whieli the (^uota is now reduced. 



1 fiiul in handling the skins taken in Bering Sea that the teats of 

 those from the cow seals are much larger and more ,..„. . ,. 



, , , • ,1 -»T J.1 Dineroiicc in condi- 



(le\eioi>ed than trom the ones taken ni the JNorth tiou of Northweat 

 Pacific before they have given birth to their young; -"'rt a1''«i^='' «ii'"s- 

 and the fur on the belly of the former is thinner and poorer than on the 

 latter, as the result, I suppose, of the heat and distension of the udder 

 consequent upon giving milk. 



There (;an be no question, in my o])inion, abaut tli(>. ultimate result to 

 the rookeries of marine s(nding. If it is continued as 

 it has been for the last two or three years the seals JJ'**"*'"" "'"""'■ 

 will be so nearly wii)ed out of existence in a short time 

 as to leave nothing to (juarrel about; and an article of commerce that 

 has afforded a vast amount of comfort and satisfaction to a large class 

 of wearers and a large in(;ome to both American and British mer(;hauts 

 will be a thing of the past. 



Isaac Likees. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this lOth day of May, A. 1). 1892. 

 [seal] Clement Bi<:nnett, 



iiotary Fublic, 



