594 TESTIMONY 



the seal resorting to these islands was the property of the Govern- 

 ment and therefore it had a right to protect them 



propJrt/S^'seai^ind everywhere. The Government, however, gave licenses 

 right to protect them to Certain partics at from £80 to £100 a year to take 

 everywiere. scals during the close season. On account of these 



licenses I think the effect of the ordinance is nulUfled, although the 

 islands are well guarded, and seals have increased 



Licenses granted. ^^^^ j.^^j^^ -^ ^^ -jj^ becaUSC of aUowiug huutiug tO 



take place under these licenses. 



South Georgia Island. — This island at one time produced many thou- 

 sand skins. I visited it in 1874 and got 1,450 skins, 

 lafdrooke^feTmlsTr ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ hccn visitcd flvc ycars before, when 800 

 skins were taken, and Avhere those had been taken I 

 only got 86. I found a new rookery which had not been worked, to my 

 knowledge, and then I got the remainder. In 1875 5 

 ^^'^" vessels visited the island and got 600 seals. The next 



season 4 vessels again worked it, getting 110. Since 

 ^^^^' that time, until January, 1892, it had not beeit worked, 



Practically extinct ^^^ ^ ^^^^ mouth I got from there 135 skins, none, 

 however, coming from the old rookeries. The seals on 

 South Georgia are practically extinct. 

 South Shetland Islands. — The shores of these islands were once cov- 

 ered with seals, but there are practically none there 

 rookertes practically uow. I dou't thiuk 100 skius could be taken from thqre 

 depleted. r^^, ^^^q. present time, while I have known of 1 vessel 



Has known of 1 taking 60,000 iu a scason. Since mv experience began, 

 vessel catching 60,000 jjowevcr, the biggcst catch was 13,000 by a fleet of 

 4 vessels; that was in 1871-'72. I was there at that 

 time. The next year we took about 12,000, the fleet consisting of 6 

 vessels. In 1873-'74 our fleet of 7 vessels took about 5,000. Up to 

 about 1880 from 100 to 200 seals were taken annually from these islands. 

 Since 1880 the rookeries were not worked till 1888-'89. That season I 

 visited the islands and took 39 skins. I again went there this year 

 and took 41. 



Sandicich Land. — In 1875-'76 I visited these islands ; there were 3 or 4 



Sandwich Land ^csscls iu theflect. We searched the southern islands 



rookerie.r ^ '^ ' ^° and fouud nothing. One vessel wxnt to the northern 



Decrease. islauds and took about 2,000 skins. In 1876-'77 I was 



there again, the fleet consisting of 6 vessels. We took altogether 



about 4,000. The next season some vessels again visited the islands, but 



did not take 100 seals. In 1880-'81 2 vessels stopped there, but got no 



skius. From that time until I called there this season they had not 



been worked. I took 400 skins. Perhaps 200 more could be taken 



practicaiiydepieted. theTC, but uot morc, and that Avould clcar them up, 



except what few young seals might live through this 



Lobes Islands; seals scasou. I havc ucvcr bccn ou tlic Lobos Islands, but 



°®*'"' in passing the mouth of the Platte in September I 



have seen seals in the water a hundred miles from the islands. 



Extermination. — All these regions are particularly favorable for seal 

 ^ life; the raw, damp atmosphere, absence of sunshine 

 siniiirr\o*thM'lo/thl and uninhabited conditions being most advantageous 

 Prihiiof Islands. ^q ^j^q existcuce of the species. All these regions de- 

 scribed are uninhabited excepting the Falkland Islands and Terra del 

 Fuego, the latter being inhabited by the Indians, who only visit a tew 

 of the inshore rookeries. 



