TESTIMONY RELATING TO ANTARCTIC SEALING. 



J)eposition of James W. Budington^ scaler [master). 



antaectic sealing and kookekies. 



District of Columbia, 



City of Washington, ss: 



Capt. Jiiines W. Biulington, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I 

 am 53 years of age, a resident of (Iroton, Conn., and . 



a juaster niariuer. Since 1871 I have made several -^peneuce. 

 voyages to tlie southern hemisphere for tlie purpose of seal hunting, and 

 am thoroughly acquainted Avith the islands and coasts about Cape Horn 

 and in the southern Atlantic Ocean where fur-seals have been taken. I 

 also studied, as far as I was able, the habits and conditions of the fur- 

 seal of the southern seas. 



Patagonia. — The seal rookeries of Patagonia lie along the eastern 

 coast, south of abcmt latitude 42°, and up the western 

 coast to the Gulf of Penas. Formerly these regions in^ts^lTd mS''' 

 abound in seals, but now there are not enough to pay 

 for the hunting. In 18S1 I took GOO seals off the western coast at 

 Pictou opening. In 1888-'89 1 again visited the coast, but only obtained 

 4 skins. Great quantities have been taken from the eastern coast, but 

 at present tliere are no seals there. 



Terra del Fuego and the islands in the vicinity. — These islands were at 

 one time very abundant in seals, and were considered 

 among the best rookeries. I visited them in 1879-'80 def FncSfLd u^S 

 and took 5,000 skins. On my last voyage, in 1801-92, boTins fsianris In 

 I toi)k only 900, and the majority of these came from is79- «u, au(n89i-'92. 

 another portion of the coast, which had not been worked for twelve or 

 lifteen years. Thousands of skins had formerly been taken from these 

 islands, but the animals are practically extinct there to-day. 



Falkland Islands. — x\t one time these islands were very abundant 

 in seal life, but excessive and indiscriminate killing -^ ,, , ,t, ^ 



T 1 -1 -1 J. 1 ^1 J.1 • /• j_ -1 Falkland Islands 



has nearly aiinilulated them; this tact was recognized rookeries nearly de- 

 by the government of the islands, which passed an ordi- p^*'^"^- 

 nance in 1881 establishing a close season from October ciose season estab- 

 to April for the islands and the seas adjacent thereto. ''^^'■'^' 

 My understanding of this ordinance was that the Government would 

 seize any vessel taking seals close to or within 15 or 

 20 miles of the islands. It certainly would not have „J^^« "^ ^^ *" 20 

 been allowed to take seals between the Falklands and 

 Beauchene Island, 28 miles distant, which is considered part of the 

 group. I understood this ordinance was passed on the ground that 



503 

 271G— VOL II 38 



