APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 537 
less extended in point of space. Instead of going as far south as the 47th parallel, I 
have frequently indicated the willingness of ‘this Government to take the div iding 
line between the Pacific Ocean and the Behring’s Sea—the line which is tangent to 
the southernmost island of the Alentian eroup—being as near as may be the 50th par- 
allel of north latitude. 
Early in April you will remember that you suggested to me the advantage that 
might follow if the sailing of Revenue cutters for Behring’ s Sea could be postpone d 
till the middle of May. Though that was a matter entirely under the control of the 
Treasury Department, Secretary Windom promptly complied with your request, and 
by the President’s direction a still longer postponement was ordered in the hope that 
some form of equitable adjustment might be proposed by Her Majesty’s Government. 
Even the Revenue cutter which annually passes through Behring’s Sea carrying 
supplies to the relief station at Point Baad in the Arctic Ocean——72nd degree of 
north Jatitude—was held back, lest her appearance in Behring’s Sea might be mis- 
represented as a non-observance of the understanding between us. 
Itis perfectly clear that if your claim for British vessels to kill seals within 10 
miles of the Pribyloff Islands, directly after the the mothers are delivered of their 
young, should be granted, the Behring’s Sea would swarm with vessels engaged in 
sealing, not forty or fifty as now, but many hundreds, through the summer months, 
If that privilege should be given to Canadian vessels, it must of course be conceded 
at once to American vessels. If the rookeries are to be thrown open to Canadians, 
they would certainly, as a matterof common right, be thrown open to citizens of the 
United States. 
The seal-mothers, which require an area of from 40 to 50 miles from the islands on 
all sides to secure food for their young, would be slaughtered by hundreds of thou- 
sands, andin a brief space of time there would no seals in the Behri ing’s Sea. Sim- 
ilar causes have uniforinly produced similar effects. Seal rookeries in all parts of 
the world have been destroyed in that way. The present course of Great Britain 
will produce the same effect on the only seal rookery of any value left in the waters 
of the oceans and seas of the globe. The United States have leased the privilege of 
sealing because cnly in that way can the rookeries be preserved, and only in that 
way can this Government derive a revenue from the Pribyloft Islands. Great Brit- 
ain would perhaps gain something for a few years, but it would be at the expense of 
destroying a valuable interest belonging toa friendly nation, an interest which the 
civilized world desires to have preserved. 
I observe that you quote Treasury Agent George R. Tingle, in your despatch of the 
30th April, as showing that, notwithstanding the depredations of marauders, the total 
number of seals had increased in the Behring’sSea. Therude mode of estimating the 
total number can readily lead to mistakes, “and other agents have differed from Mr. 
Tingle. But, aside from the correctness or incorrectness of Mr. Tingle’s conclusions 
on that point, may I ask upon what grounds do the Canadian vessels assert a claim, 
unless they assume that they have a title to the increase of the seal herd? If the 
claim of the United States to the seals of the Pribyloff Islands be well founded, we 
are certainly entitled to the increase as much as a sheep-grower is entitled to the 
increase of his flock. 
Having introduced Mr. Tingle, who has very extensive knowledge touching the 
seals in Behring’s Sea, as well as the habits of the Canadian marauders, I trust you 
will not discredit his testimony. The following statement, made by Mr. Tingle in 
his official Report to the Treasury Department at the close of the season of 1887, is 
respectfully commended to your consideration: 
486 “T am now convinced, from what I gather in questioning the men belonging 
to captured schooners, and from re ding the logs of the vessels, that not more 
than one seal in ten killed and mortally wounded is landed on the boats and skinned; 
thus you will see the wanton destruction of seal life without any benefit whatever. 
I think 30,000 skins taken this year is a low estimate on this basis; 300,000 fur-seals 
were killed to secure that number, or three times as many as the Alaska Commercial 
Company are allowed by law to kill. You can readily see that this great slaughter 
of seals will in a few years make it impossible for 100,000 skins to be taken on the 
islands by the lessees. I earnestly hope more rigorous measures will be adopted by 
the Government in dealing with these destructive law-breakers.” 
Both of Mr. Tingle’s statements are made in his official ¢ apacity, and in both cases 
he had no temptation to state anything except what he honestly believed to be the 
truth. 
The President does not conceal his disappointment that, even for the sake of secur- 
ing an impartial arbitration of the question at issue, Her Majesty’s Government is 
not willing to suspend for a single season the practice which Lord Salisbury described 
in 1888 as ‘“‘the wanton destruction of a valuable industry,” and which this Govern- 
ment has uniformly regarded as an unprovoked invasion of its established rights. 
Ihave, &c. 
(Signed) JAMES G. BLAINE. 
