574 TESTIMONY. 



people engaged in the business of handling, dyeing, dressing, and treat- 

 ing fnr-seal skins up to the time the skins pass into the hands of the 

 furriers at about 2,000. In addition to the number so employed, a much 

 larger number of furriers, employes, and the employes of the retail mer- 

 chants are concerned directly or indirectly in handling or manufactur- 

 ing the fur-seal skin or fur-seal skin garments. 



Dei)ouent further says that a large amount of capi- 

 Laige London capi- ^rj] j^g [^^ quc Way or aiiothcr invested in the city of Lon- 

 don in the business above enumerated. 

 That the continuance of the fur-seal business depends, in deponent's 

 judgmeut, obviously upon the continued existence of the fur-seal herds 

 from which the skins arc derived 



That the question of the preservation of the fur-seal herd has, of 

 course, engaged deponent's attention and he has kept 

 Protection neces- ^^ closc a watch ou it as he was able to do without be- 

 *^'^' ing ou the ground. In regard to what might he done 



to preserve the herd deponent does not feel that he knows all the facts, 

 and in consequence thereof it is difticult for him to express an opinion 

 as to the manner in which the seal herds ought to be i^reserved or what 

 regulations ought to be imposed for that purpose, but judging from the 

 fact that for many years 100,(K)0 seals were caught upon the Pribilof 

 Islands without injury to the herds resorting to the rookeries on those 

 islands, it is fair to conclude that unless some other 

 nofSsWe. '^^'''"^'' ^^^^^^ intervened to diminish those herds killing that 

 number of seals upon the islands would not have been 

 detrimental to the herd. 

 If it is the fact, as has been stated, that the herds have now been 

 diminished since the killing of female seals upon the 

 ti(J^ necessary^'^''^"^' sca bcgau, as to which dcponcut has no knowledge, he 

 should say that it would at least be reasonable to pro- 

 hibit the killing of seals absolutely within the area which may be de- 

 scribed as the feeding grounds around the island. 



Geo. Eice. 



Sworn at the consulate-general of the United States of America at 

 London, England, this 15th day of June, 1892, before me. 

 [seal.] Francis W. Feigout, 



Vice and Duputy Consul- General 

 of the United tStates of America at London, Emjland. 



Dejyositloyi of William Charles Blatspiel titamp, furrier, London. 



general sealskin industry, pelagic sealing. 



William Charles Blatspiel Stamp, being duly sworn, doth depose and 

 say: That he is 51 years of age, and a subject of Her Britannic Majesty, 



and is engaged in business at 38 Knightrider street, 

 Experience. Loudon, E. C, as a fur and skin merchant. That he 



has been engaged in that business for upwards of thirty 

 years, and has been in the habit of imrchasing fur-seal skins during 

 the whole of the time that he has been in business. That he has per- 

 sonally handled many thousands of such fur-seal skins and he has in- 

 spected the samples at practically every sale of fur skins made in Lon- 

 don during the whole of the time he has been in business, and in conse- 

 quence of these facts and of his knowledge of the fur-sealskin business 



