602 APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
to apply to the claims of Russia in Behring’s Sea. But, whatever 
opinion may be formed on that point, it is certain that the principles of 
the law of nations invoked by Mr. Adams apply with equal force, 
whether to the north or to the south of the Aleutian Islands, and that 
the millions of fur seals which migrate annually to Behring’s Sea do 
not, on entering its waters, become the exclusive property of the United 
States. 
I will not presume to dwell longer on the legal aspect of the contro- 
versy, as the various questions of law to which it has given rise 
et have been fully and conclusively dealt with in your Lordship’s 
despatches, of which copies have been communicated to Mr. 
Blaine. 
I will only observe, in conclusion, that if the United States Govern- 
ment persist in their endeavour to exclude British subjects from any 
participation in the fur-seal fishery in Behring’s Sea, on the plea that 
such exclusion is necessary for the preservation of the fur-seal species, 
they assume a position which in my opinion will not bear the test of an 
impartial inquiry, and that, in defending such action on the ground of 
legal right, they raise questions of grave interest and concern to all 
nations which there can be no hope of bringing to a satisfactory solu- 
tion otherwise than by a Conference of the Great Powers or by inter- 
national arbitration. 
No. 6, 
Sir C. Lampson and Co. to Foreign Office.—(Received September 6.) 
64, QUEEN STREET, London, September 6, 1890. 
DEAR SiR: Since we addressed you, under date of the 6th November 
last,* on the Behring’s Sea Fishery question, the number of fur-seals 
annually visiting the Pribylov breeding islands has decreased to such 
an extent that the Company who hold the lease from the United States 
Government have only been able to secure, for trade purposes, 21,000, 
instead of the usual 100,000, skins, the United States Government 
Agent stationed on the islands prohibiting any further killing. 
The total extermination of the fur-seal, which we foreshadowed in 
our last, has therefore come within measurable distance, and unless a 
close time can be arranged immediately, the animal will undoubtedly 
become extinct within a very short time. 
We need seareely point out that as the seals taken by the Canadian 
schooners at sea are the females and pups of those visiting the breeding 
islands, this industry will of necessity disappear with the extinction of 
the seal, and in confirmation of this we have just received a telegram 
from Victoria informing us that the seal fishery in the Behring’s Sea 
has been a failure, the total catch being far below those of preceding 
years, although the fishing-vessels do not appear to have been molested 
by the United States’ Government cruizers. 
We are, Xe. 
(Signed) C. M. LAMPSON AND Co. 
* See ‘United States No. 2 (1890),” p. 338. 
