APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 459 
The Russian Minister stated that since the date of our preliminary 
meeting of the 22nd ultimo (reported by me to your Lordship on the 
same day), at which a line of demarcation for a close season had been 
informally proposed by Mr. Blaine and himself, he had received instrue- 
tions from his Government to press that the line should commence on 
the west from a point at the southern extremity of the Island of Sag- 
halien, in order to protect the rookery or breeding place on Robin Reef 
in the Sea of Ochotsk. 
On the other hand, Mr. Blaine seemed disposed to agree that on the 
east the line should terminate at the 160th meridian of longitude west 
from Greenwich, as originally proposed by the United States Govern- 
ment. 
Mr. Tupper, who was then invited to express his views, strongly con- 
tended that a close season was not necessary for the preservation of the 
fur-seal species. All that was really required for that purpose was to 
use greater vigilance for the protection of the rookeries against the 
destruction of seals on shore by marauding parties. This would be 
effectually carried out by the United States Government by the 
employment of additional cruizers, without necessitating the exclusion 
of all sealing vessels from the Behring’s Sea for any period. 
A great deal of argument ensued on the evidence of particular wit- 
nesses and the reports of officials and experts, in the course of which 
Mr. Blaine laid great stress on a passage in the Report of Mr. Mowatt, 
Inspector of Fisheries for British Columbia, which is cited in Mr. Bay. 
ard’s despatch to Mr. Phelps of the 7th February, 1888. It is to the 
effect that the enormous catch of fur seal in Behring’s Sea by schoon- 
ers from San Francisco and Victoria consisted principally of “cows” 
or female seals, and that, in view of the increase of vessels fitting out 
every year, there was reason to apprehend, in the opinion of the writer, 
that unless some measure of protection were adopted, the fur-seal fish- 
ery would soon be depleted. 
It was agreed to adjourn the meeting until we had examined a Mem- 
orandum of the evidence relied on by the United States Government 
which Mr. Blaine had promised to furnish, as reported in my despatch 
of the 1st instant. 
This Memorandum was delivered the same day, and Mr. Tupper 
immediately prepared a counter-Memorandum in support of his views. 
Both documents are in course of printing, and copies will be trans- 
mitted to your Lordship as early as practicable. 
420 They unfortunately present so great a divergence of opinion 
on all the facts relating to the fur-seal fishery in the Behring’s 
Sea, that Mr. Blaine decided to invite M. de Struve and myself to an 
interview on the 12th instant, at which he stated that the perusal of 
Mr. Tupper’s Memorandum had convinced him of the hopelessness of 
arriving at a solution that would be satisfactory to Canada. He said 
he had exhausted all the arguments in favour of the proposal made by 
the United States Government two years ago, and he called on me to 
make a counter-proposal on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government. 
I replied that I was reluctant to make a counter-proposal without 
previous reference to your Lordship, but that I did not take so despond- 
ing a view of the situation as he appeared to do. 
It had been admitted and agreed that the sole object of the pro- 
posed arrangement was the preservation of the fur-seal species, and not 
the gain or benefit of any particular Government or body of persons. 
I did not believe that Canada, in view of the conflict of evidence, 
would object to a reasonable close season, at all events by way of 
experiment, and with a view to the further elucidation of the question. 
