488 APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



to tlie Beliriiig Sea, by the pirates (United States Case, Appendix, 

 in these waters, and tlie indiscrim- vol. ii, p. 112.) 

 inate slaughter upon the islands, 

 regardless of the future life of the 

 breeding rookeries, have at last 

 with their combined destructive 

 power reduced these rookeries to 

 their present im])overished condi- 

 tion." — (Sen ate, 50th Congress, 2nd 

 Session, Ex. Doe. No. 90, p. 5.) 



"The prosperity of these world- 

 renowned rookeries is fast fading 

 away under the present annual 

 catch allowed by law, and this 

 indiscreet slaughter now being 

 waged in these waters will only 

 hasten the end of the fur-seals of 

 the Pribyloft' Islands." — (Letter 

 from Mr. Goff to Mr. Windom, 

 dated St. Paul Island, Alaska, 31st 

 July, 18S9.) 



133 G. A. Williams. 



"It was supposed at that time "There is no intermingling of 

 [early in the Eussian regime] that the two herds of the Pribyloft and 

 the commencement of seal life on Commander Islands; may be so 

 tbe Islands of Behring and Copper readily distinguished from each 

 probably took place by reason of other that an expert would have no 

 the indiscriminate killing on those difdculty in at once throwing out 

 islands [Pribyloft] diverting the from the catch taken on the Corn- 

 seal from their usual haunts, and mander Islands any skins of the 

 making them seek some other Pribyloft" herd; and deponent un- 

 localities. derstands, from persons who have 



"Q. Was there a large nnmber had long experience in the exami- 

 of seals wliich left the Pribyloft" nation of the living animals, that 

 group and went over to the Eus- the two herds so dift'er as to belong 

 sian islands? — A. You could to separate species of the same 

 hardly expect them to go in a body, genus and can readily be distin- 

 There had hardly been sealing or guished from each other." — (Unit- 

 seal life to any extent on the Com- ed States Case, Appendix, vol. ii, 

 mander Islands of Copper and p. 537.) 

 Behring. It had not attracted the 

 attention of the Russians, but after 

 the indiscriminate killing on the 

 Islands of St. Paul and St. George, 

 it was noticed that seal life in- 

 creased rapidly on the other 

 islands, and the supposition is a 

 natural one that they were divert- 

 ed from the islands on which they 

 had heretofore been undisturbed, 

 and sought other places." — (H. E., 



50th Congress, 2nd Session, Eeport ' 



3883, pp.77, 78.) 



