916 APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



261 LETTERS FROM MESSRS. LAMPSON. 



64, Queen Street, London^ December 21, 1892. 



Gentlemen : We are in receipt of your favour of the 16th instant, 

 and in reply to your inquiry regarding the classification of salted fur- 

 seal skins, we have the pleasure to inclose herewith a Table showing 

 the measurements and average weights of the three principal kinds 

 ofiered at our public sales. In explanation of these, we would point 

 out that, in assorting fur-seals for size, we are guided mainly by the 

 measurement, but we do make some allowance for the weight, i. e., if a 

 skin, although having the proper measurement, is exception ally heavy, 

 it wonld be classed in the size above, and if exceptionally light, in the 

 size below. 



You will notice that the Alaska skins, viz., those from seals taken on 

 the Pribylofl' Islands, and shipped formerly by the Alaska Commercial 

 Company, and since 1890 by the Korth America Commercial Company, 

 are assorted on the largest pattern. The Copper Island skins, viz., 

 those from seals taken on the Komandorsky Islands, and shipped 

 formerly by Messrs. Hutchinson, Kohl, Philipj)eus, and Co., and since 

 1891 by the Kussian Sealskin Company, are assorted on a somewhat 

 smaller jjattern, being narrower. The North-w^est Coast skins, viz., 

 those from seals taken at sea either in the North Pacific or Behring 

 Sea, are assorted on a still smaller patern, being still narrower than the 

 other kinds, more particularly towards the heads. 



As regards the nomenclature of the various sizes, you will under- 

 stand that the "wigs" are the largest skins; ''middlings" the next; 

 "middlings and smalls" form the intermediate size between the "mid- 

 dlings" and the "smalls^" and although the name of "middlings" and 

 "smalls" might lead you to expect two sizes, it refers to one only. 

 Then follow "smalls," "large pups," and so on to the "extra extra 

 small" and "grey pups," of which a proportion is found in the i!^orth- 

 west Coast seals. The Alaskas and Coppers do not, as a rule, contain 

 any of these smallest sizes, nor any "wigs." 



We are unable to answer your inquiiy as to in "what class in the 

 sale catalogue would be placed a skin classified on the islands as, say, 

 a 7-lb. skin," as we do not know whether the classification you mention 

 refers to the skins as taken from the animals, or after they have been 

 cured and salted ready for shipment. The process of curing and salt- 

 ing must of necessity add to the weight. 



As far as the Alaska and Copper skins are concerned, the weights of 

 the different sizes vary but very little from year to year, as the natives 

 who ilay the seals leave on the skins about the same quantity of blub- 

 ber, and use about the same quantity of salt; but with regard to the 

 North-west Coast skins, the weights at times differ considerably, accord- 

 ing to the quantity of blubber left on the pelt and the quantity of salt 

 used in curing. Generally speaking, we have noticed for some years 

 past that more and more blubber has been left on this class of skins, 

 and you will notice that the average weights of the larger sizes of this 

 season's take are even greater than those of corresponding sizes in the 

 Alaskas and Coppers. 



There is no fixed rule as to sizing fur-seal skins, and we give you the 

 measurements and weights of skins as assorted by us. Other houses, 

 when assorting fur-seals, are most likely to have their own standards, 

 probably differing somewhat from ours. 

 Yours truly, 



(Signed) C. M. Lampson and Co. 



Sir George Baden-Powell, K. G. M. O., M. P., <&c., and 



Professor Dawson, the Foreign Office. 



