200 CHAPTER XIV. 



Management of the Fribyloff Islands hy Russia and hy the United 



States — (contiiiuod). 



THE "DRIVING" OF SEALS AND ITS EFFECTS. 



The United States Contentions. 



(1.) United States Case, p. 147— 

 "A herd of seals is as cajjable of being driven, separated, and counted as a herd 

 of cattle on the plains." 

 (2.) ITiiited States Case, p. 152— 

 " Tlie inost strin,i>eiit rules have been and are enforced by the Government to 

 ])reveut any disturbance of the breedint;' seals."' 

 (3.) United Stales Case, p. 153— 

 "I do not see how it is possible to conduct the sealing process with greater care or 

 ju(l<iment.'' 

 (4.) United States Case, p. 158 — 

 "In fact it niny be (]ue:stioned whether any seals are ever killed on a drive, except 

 now and then one by smothering." 

 (5.) United States Case, p. IfjS— 

 "The effects of over-driving and re-driving .... tipon the seals which from 

 age or condition are unfit for killing, is of little or no importance in relation 



to seal life on the islands Certainly, no male seal thus driven was 



ever seriously injured or his virility affected by such re-driving." 



Summary of British Reply. 



The methods actually practised in tiking seals upon the Pribyloff Islands are rightly 

 included under the head of management, and of these one of the most injurious 

 to seal life is tlie practice of "driving." 



The process of "driving," as practised on the Pribyloff Islands, is not only in itself 

 cruel, but is excessively (k'structi\e. Seals olten die while being driven, but a 

 more serious loss is brouglit about by the enl'eeblemeut of the productive powers 

 of seals S(j driven. 



Even in 1842, remarks bearing out these statements may be found in the Russian 

 Records; and Messrs. J'^lliott and Maynard, in 1872-74, also allude to similar 

 facts. In 18i]0, however, when attention had been drawn to the decre se of 

 seals upon the I'riliyloff Islands, Messrs. Elliott, Goff, Lavender, and I'alnier — 

 all oftici;ils of the United States Goveruuieut— concur in attributing the most 

 serious eft'ects to "dri^ing." 



261 The British ConnniKsioners write to the same effect, and point out in jiartic- 



ular the increased injury inflicted by the ])rocess of driving under the circum- 

 stances at tlie time of their iuA'cstigatious (In 1891) actually existing on the 

 ishunls, wli.'u great disturbance was eaiiscd on the breeding rookeries, and con- 

 siderable numljcrs of Irceding females were gathered up \s itli the yonng males 

 in tiie endeavour to cnlleet drives. 'I"he United States Commissioners ijractically 

 admit the existence of the same evils. 



223 



