554 TESTIMONY. 



Deponent says that one reason why he thinks the Ivilling- of seals iu 

 the open sea shoiikl be prohibited and all killing limited to the islands 

 is because deponent is of the opinion that when seals are killed in the 

 open sea a large number must be killed which are not recovered, and 

 consequently that the herds must suffer much greater loss than is 

 measured by the skins of the seals caught or coming to market. 



Deponent further says that one reason for this opinion is that he has 

 had some small exi^erience in shooting hair seals in the Scilly Islands, 

 and has himself personally killed hair seals at a distance of 40 or 50 

 yards, which sank before he could reach them. Hair seals are of the 

 same general family as fur-seals, and he has no doubt that the same 

 thing occurs, and must occur, when the fur seals are killed on the open sea. 

 Herbert Shelley Bevington, M. A. 



Sworn at No. 28 Cannon street, in the city of London, England, 

 this 2Gth day of April, 1892, before me. 

 [sEAL.j Francis W. Frigout, 



Vice mid Deputy Consul- General of the 

 United States of America at London, England. 



Bcpositlon of Alfred Fraser^ memler of firm of C. M. Lampson & Co., fur- 

 riers, London. 



general sealskin industry. 



State of New York, 



City and County of New YorJc, ss : 



Alfred Fraser, being duly sworn, says: 



First. That he is a subject of Her Britannic Majesty and is 52 years 

 of age and resides in the city of Brooklyn, iu the State 

 inStry.^ seal-skin of Ncw York. That he is a member of the tirm of C. 

 M. Lampson & Co., of London, and has been a 

 member of said firm for about thirteen years; prior to that time he was 

 in the employ of said firm and took an active part in the management 

 of the business of said firm in London. That the business of C. M. 

 Lampson & Co. is that of merchants, engaged principally in the 

 business of selling fur skins on commission. That for about twenty- 

 four years the firm of C. M. Lampson & Co. have sold the great 

 majority of the Avhole number of seal skins sold in all the markets of 

 Ex erienco ^^^^ world. That whilc he was engaged in the manage- 



xpeiienco. meut of the business of said firm in London, he had 



personal knowledge of the character of the various seal skins sold by 

 the said firm, from his personal inspection of the same in their ware- 

 house and from the physical handling of the same by him. That many 

 hundred thousands of the skins sold by C. M. Lampson & Co. have 

 physically passed through his hands; and that since his residence 

 in this country he has, as a member of said firm, had a general and de- 

 tailed knowledge of the character and extent of the business of said 

 firm, although since his residence in the city of New York he has not 

 physically handled the skins disposed of by his firm. 



That during the last year or two a large number of skins have been 

 sold in London by the firm of Culverwell, Brooks & Co., and that 

 said firm, as deponent is informed and believes, have secured the con- 

 signment of skins to them during the period aforesaid by advancing 

 to the owners of vessels engaged iu what is now known as pelagic 



