oo 
APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 501 
of the shedding and renewal of the longer hair, they are of less value) show that there 
is no natural basis for a close season generally applicable. Thus, should any close 
season be advocated, its length and the time of year during which it shall occur can 
only be determined as a matter of convenience and be of the nature of a compromise 
between the various interests involved. The pelagic habits of the seals during fully 
six months of each year, and the fact that they are during the entire winter season 
widely dispersed over the Pacific, constitute a natural and unavoidable close season. 
It is thus only possible, from a commercial point of view, to kill the seals during the 
period of their approximate concentration for migration or when in Behring’s Sea. 
This is the period fixed by Nature during which seals may be taken, and any artificial 
close season can be effective only if applied to the further curtailment of the time at 
which it is possible to carry on the fishery. It may be assumed, therefore, as such a 
close season for seal-hunting at sea must be purely arbitrary and artificial, that any 
close season proposed by the United States or the lessees of the Seal Islands will be 
chosen entirely in the interest of sealing on shore, and so arranged as to render the 
time of sealing on the open sea as short and unprofitable as possible. It is thus 
important that the sea-going sealers should at least have an equal voice in the matter 
of the time and duration of a close period if such should be contemplated. 
(Signed) GEORGE M. Dawson. 
Marcu 5, 1890. : 
No. 322. 
Sir J. Pauncefote to the Marquis of Salisbury.—( Received April 26.) 
{Telegraphic. ] 
WASHINGTON, April 26, 1890. 
I have received the amendments proposed by the Canadian Govern- 
ment in my new dratt Convention referred to in my despatch of the 
11th instant. I propose to submit the draft Convention to the Confer- 
ence on Tuesday, with the amendments, unless your Lordship instructs 
me otherwise. 
INO2323: 
Sir J. Pauncefote to the Marquis of Salisbury.—( Received April 30.) 
[Lelegraphic.] 
WASHINGTON, April 30, 1890. 
I have sent the draft Convention to Mr. Blaine, with a letter sup. 
porting our counter-proposal. 
I sent your Lordship copies by post yesterday. 
454 No. 324. 
Sir J. Pauncefote to the Marquis of Salisbury.—( Received May 5.) 
WASHINGTON, April 25, 1890. 
My wees In obedience to your Lordship’s instructions banned to 
me in your telegram of the 15th March, 1 have the honour to inform 
you that I communicated copies of my despatches of the 7th and 11th 
February, respecting the assessment of damages for seizure in Behring’s 
Sea, to Mr. Tupper, in order that he might consult his colleagues on 
the subject during his visit to Ottawa. 
