PUR-SEAL FISHERIES OP ALASKA. V 



IS the breeding place for sea-elopliants, and that; creature caa not be exterminated 

 on that island, for the reason that cer tain beaches known as "weather beaches" are 

 there. The sea breaks rudely ux)on these beaches, and it is impossible to land upon 

 them. There are clilfs, something like 300 to 500 feet, of shore ice, and the sea-ele- 

 phant finds a safe resort on these beaches, and still preserves enough life tp make the 

 pursuit of that animal worth following in a small way. 



I have vessels there, and have hnd, myself and fatlicr, for lifty or sixty years. Bit 

 this is incidental. The island of South Shetland, and the island of South Georgia, 

 and the island of Sandwichland, and the Diegos, ofl" Cape Horn, and one or two othin- 

 minor points were found to yield more or less seal. In this period of lifty years in 

 these localities seal life had recuperated to such an extent that tbere was taken from 

 them in the six years from 1870 to 1876 or 1877, perhaps 40,000 skins. 



Q. After they had been abandoned for fifty years? 



A. Yes ; to-day they are again exhausted. The last year's search of vessels in that 

 region — I have the statistics here of a vessel from Stonington from the South Sliet- 

 land Islands, reported in 1888, and she procured 39 skins as the total result of search 

 on those islands and South Georgia. 



One of my own vessels procured 61 skins, including 11 pups, as the total resultof 

 her voyage ; and, except about Cape Horn, there are, in my opinion, no seals remiun- 

 ing. I do not think that one hundred seals could be procured from all the localities 

 mentioned by a close search. Any one of those localities I have named, under proper 

 protection and restrictions, might have been perpetuated as a breeding place fur seals, 

 yielding as great a number per annum as do the islands belonging to the United 

 States. 



Now, the trade in those localities is entirely exhausted, and it would be impossible 

 in a century to restock those islands, or bring them back to a point where they would 

 yield a reasonable return for the investment of capital in hunting skins. That, in 

 brief, completes the history of the fur seal in the South Atlantic Ocean. 



DANGER OF THE EXTERMINATION OF THE ALASKA ROOKERIES. 



We have already mentioned that the present number of seals on St. 

 Paul and St. George Islands has materially diminished during the last 

 two or three years. The testimony discloses the fact that a large num- 

 ber of British and American vessels, manned by expert Indian seal- 

 hunters, have frequented. Bering Sea, and destroyed hundreds of thou- 

 sands of fur seals by shooting them in the water, and securing as niiiny 

 of the carcasses for their skins as they were able to take on board. 

 The testimony of the Government agents shows that of the number of 

 seals killed in the water not more than one in seven on an average is 

 secured, for the reason that a wounded seal will sink in the sea. So 

 that for every thousand seal skins secured in this manner there is a 

 diminution of seal life at these rookeries of at least 7,01)0. Added to 

 this is the fact that the shooting of a female seal with young causes the 

 death of both. If the shooting is before delivery that, of course, is the 

 end of both ; if after, tbe young seal dies for want of sustenance. 



During the season of 1885 the number of contraband seal skins 

 placed on the market was over 13,000 ; and in 18SG, 25,0L>0 ; in 1887, 

 o4,(i00; and in 1888 the number of illicit skins secured by British 

 cruisers were less than 25,000, which number would have been hirgely 

 increased had not the season been very stormy and boisterous. Ameri- 

 can citizens respected the law and the published notice of the Secretary 

 of the Treasury, and made no attempt to take seals. 



From this it appears that, during the last three years, the number of 

 contraband seal skins placed on the market amounted to over 97,000, 

 and which, according to the testimony, destroye'd nearly three-quarters 

 of a million of fur seals, causing a loss of revenue amounting to over 

 $2,000,000, at the rate of tax and rental paid by the lessee of the seal 

 islands. 



SECOND.— AS TO THE CONTRACT OR LEASE. 



The only contract or lease made by the Government with any persons 

 or companies for the taking of fur seals or other fur-bearing animals iu 



