APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 895 
in statu quo. In the event, however, of its being declared a part of the high seas by 
the arbitration yet to be held, it would be absolutely necessary to propose a plan to 
prevent the future extermination of the seal, which there is little doubt would 
happen within a few years, unless some very strenuous measures are taken for its 
protection. The close season idea would hardly be practicable, as it is during the 
season of breeding that the lessees of the islands kill their seals, who are then found 
on the rookeries, and it is only during this season that the seals to any large extent 
are found there. Of course, on the islands they killnothing but the young bulls. To 
make a close season for the open sea, and allow the seals to be killed on their breed- 
ing places, would be almost an impossibility. 
The following plan, which I submitted to many of the largest fur-tradergs in both 
Victoria and San Francisco, the members of the Alaska Commercial Company—the 
late lessees of the island—as well as many of those who were absolutely employed 
in the hunting, seems to be the most feasible method of protecting the very neces- 
sary animals, which, perhaps, though they are a luxury, are still to a certain extent 
a necessity. The North American Commercial Company, who now lease the seal- 
breeding islands known as the Pribyloft group, pay the United States 100,000 dollars 
per year, and 9 dol. 62 c. per skin for everything they take from the island. 
When there was no limit to the number of seals that they were allowed to kill, 
before the present modus vivendi was agreed upon between the United States and 
Great Britain, their payments brought into the American Government a revenue of 
about 800,000 dollars per year. This is a very small item in the revenue of 
120 such a great nation, and it has been suggested that the Government of the 
United States shall refrain from leasing the Pribyloff Islands to any Company 
whatever; that no seals shall be killed on the rookeries, which shall be retained 
to allow the fur-bearing seal a safe breeding place. 
On consideration of the United States refraining from leasing the islands, the 
right of deing which they would, of course, still legally retain, an international 
agreement could be entered into between the different nations, making it a criminal 
offence for any poacher to be found sailing within a prescribed distance of the 
island—say, from 60 to 80 miles around them—which would give female seals lots of 
space to feed in. Those to whom I suggested this solution, even although inter- 
ested in seal schooners, said they w ould be perfectly w illing to accept such a law, 
and that they could catch outside of the 80-mile limit sufficient seals to make seal- 
hunting as good a paying business as it was heretofore. In addition to this, it has 
been sugwested that all ‘sealing-schooners should be licensed, and any vessel found 
hunting the seal in Behring’s Sea or outside of it without a licence should be seized, 
and no shooting should be allowed. The cost of maintaining cruizers to see that 
this was done would be very small, as there would be a very restricted area of the 
Behring’s Sea to patrol. The above, of course, would only be feasible in the event 
of the sea being declared open, for if the Arbitration Committee rule that it is a 
closed sea, and belongs to the United States, of course all poachers would be liable 
to seizure. 
WoW; 
Sir J. Pauncefote to the Marquis of Salisbury.—( Received November 25.) 
[Telegraphic. ] 
WASHINGTON, November 24, 1891. 
I addressed a note to Mr. Blaine, as instructed by your Lordship’s 
telegram of the 22nd instant, and this morning had a long interview 
with him. He has postponed the signing until he has referred the 
matter to the President and Cabinet, “who. sit to-day. Both reserva- 
tions are objected to by him, especially the second, which he said 
imposed a new condition ney er before suggested during the negotia- 
tions. He said he would advise the President not to accept it. 
I stated that your Lordship only desired to obviate doubts or differ- 
ences at a later stage, and was most anxious. for the arbitration. I 
repeated your Lordship’s reasons for the reservation, and pointed out 
that it was only in the event of the Arbitrators, by their decision, pro- 
claiming to the world that pelagic fishery was free to all flags that the 
