APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



487 



Joseph Murray {1889-92). 



Colonel Murray, in a letter ad- 

 dressed to Mr. Goif, and dated tlie 

 31st July, 1890, after describing a 

 meeting held by tlie natives on St. 

 George Island for the purpose of 

 discussing the causes that lead to 

 the decrease in the number of seals 

 on that island, says: "The meet- 

 ing was adjourned from time to 

 time until they had thoroughly dis- 

 cussed the most important ques- 

 tions raised, and at the last meet- 

 ing, held 23rd May, the}'' unani- 

 mously declared that it was their 

 firm belief and honest opinion that 

 the seals had diminished, and 

 would continue to diminish from 

 year to year, because all the male 

 seals had been slaughtered with- 

 out allowing any to growtoijiatur 

 ity for use oil the breeding-ground. 

 1 made a note of the suggestion on 

 the journal of that day, and I am 

 now fully convinced by personal 

 observation that it is only too 

 true, and that the natives were cor- 

 rect in every particular." — (Senate, 

 50th Congress, 2nd Session, Ex. 

 Doc. No. 49, p. 8.) 



"There is only one great cause 

 of the decrease of the fur-seal, and 

 that is the killing of the females 

 by pelagic hunting. During my 

 observations in 1890 I was led to 

 believe that the decrease was part 

 ly due to the lack of bulls on the 

 breeding rookeries, and I so re- 

 ported to Agent Goff; but after 

 thoroughly investigating the sub- 

 ject the next year by daily visits to 

 the breeding-grounds of the sev- 

 eral rookeries, where I saw nearly 

 every cow with a pup by her side, 

 and hundreds of vigorous bulls 

 without any cows, I came to the 

 conclusion that there was no truth 

 in the theory, and that it was the 

 cows that were scarce and steadily 

 decreasing." — (United States Case, 

 Appendix, vol. ii, p. 74.) 



(Note. — This reference applies 

 to St. Paul Island, the earlier one 

 to St. George Island.) 



Charles A. Goff {1889-90). 



"We closed the season by turn- 

 ing away 86 per cent, [of the seals 

 driven], a fact which proves to 

 every impartial mind that we were 

 re driving the yearlings, and, con- 

 sidering the number of skins ob- 

 tained, that it was impossible to 

 secure the number allowed by the 

 lease, that we were merely tortur- 

 ing the young seals, injuring the 

 future life and vitality of the breed- 

 ing rookeries, to' the detriment of 

 the lessees, natives, and the Gov- 

 ernment." — (Senate, oOth Congress, 

 2nd Session, Ex. Doc. No. 90,^p. 5.) 



"It is evident that the many 

 preying evils upon seal life, the 

 killing of the seals in the Pacific 

 Ocean along the Aleutian Islands, 

 and as they come through the passes 



"A few seals are injured by re- 

 driving (often conflicted with over- 

 driving, and sometimes so called), 

 but the number so injured is in- 

 considerable, and could have no 

 appreciable effect upon seal life 

 through destroying the virility of 

 the male." — (United States Case, 

 Appendix, vol. ii, p. 113.) 



" I believe that the sole cause of 

 the decrease is pelagic sealing, 

 which, from reliable information, 

 I understand to have increased 

 greatly since 1884 or 1885."— 



