SEALSKIN INDUSTRY IN GREAT BRITAIN. 555 



scaling sums of money, wliicli is stated to be |15 per skin, as against 

 sliipuients from Victoria of sucli skins. 



Second. That the seal skins which have been sold in London from time 

 to time since deponent iirst began business have been obtained from 

 sources and were known in the markets as — 



(A) The South Sea skins, being the skbis of seals principally caught 

 on the South Shetland Islands, South Georgia Islands, 



and Sandwich Land. That many years ago large num- |""th l^tetuiudia- 

 bers of seals were caught upon these islands, but in lai.d.s s..uth Georgia 



,. 11 /■ ". xi jT i. • J.' • Islands, and Sandwich 



consequence ol the fact that no restrictions were im- Land, 

 posed on the killing of said seals they were practically j^i^j" /''^**"*'"°° "^ 

 exterminated and no seal skins appeared in the market ^ '"^' 

 from those localities for many years. That about twenty years ago 

 these islands were again visited and for five seasons a considerable 

 catch was made, amounting during the whole Ave seasons to about 

 30,000 or 40,000 skins. Among the skins found in this catch were those 

 of the oldest males and the smallest pups, thus showing, in the judg- 

 ment of deponent, that every seal of every kmd was killed that could 

 be reached. That in consequence thereof the rookeries on these islands 

 were then completely exhausted. Once or twice thereafter they were 

 Adsited without result, no seals being found, and about five years ago 

 they were again revisited and only 36 skins were obtained. Deponent is 

 informed that all the South Sea skins were obtained by killing seals upon 

 the islands above mentioned, and that it is obviously everywhere much 

 easier to kill seals upon the land than in the water; and in the judg- 

 ment of the deponent the seals of the above-mentioned islands were 

 thus entirely exterminated because of the entire absence „ . 

 of any protection or of any restriction of any kind what- ^ ermma ion. 

 ever upon the number, age, or sex of seals killed, and not merely, as 

 deponent understands has been claimed by some authorities, because 

 they were killed on land instead of in the open sea, which, moreover, 

 in tiiat locality, deponent is informed, is practically impossible by reason 

 of the roughness of the sea and weather. 



(B) A considerable number of seal skins were formerly obtained 

 uj)on the Falkland Islands; how many deponent is not 



able to state. Falkland islands. 



(0) That a certain number of seals were also caught at Cape Horn, 

 and that more or less are still taken in that vicinity, 

 though the whole number has been very greatly re- ^'"pe Horn seals. 

 duced. 



(D) That at the present time and for many years last 

 past the skins coming to the market and which are commerce *^'"'' °' 

 known to commerce liave come from the following 

 sources : 



1. And by far the most important are the northern Pacific skins, 

 which are known to the trade under the following titles: 



The "Alaska" catch, which are the skins of seals caught on the Prib- 

 ilof Islands, situated in Bering Sea. For many years 

 past the Avhole of the skins caught upon these islands ^^"^^^ '''''''^• 

 have been sold by deponent's firm, and a statement of the number of 

 skins so sold in each year is appended hereto and 

 marked Exhibit A, showing the aggregate of such igfo fjmi. *'*^' *^'"°" 

 skins sold from the year 1870 to the year 1891, inclu- 

 sive, as 1,877,977. 



The "Copper" catch, being the skins of seals caught upon what are 

 known as the Commander Islands, being the islands 

 known as Copper and Bering Islands. All the skins Copper skins. 



