174 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 
RUSSIAN INTERESTS. 
The interest of Russia lies solely in the revenue which she should derive from 
the taking of seal skins on her islands. Her citizens are not to any extent engaged 
in the sale and manufacture of the garments made from the skins. 
THE INTEREST OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
Great Britain’s interest in the fur-seal-skin industry is next in importance to that 
of the United States. There was invested in the city of London, in 1892, a capital of 
$5,000,000 engaged in the work of dressing and dyeing seal skins.’ Between 2,000 
and 3,000 skilled workmen were employed in the business. This capital and labor, 
on account of their highly specialized nature, can not be advantageously turned 
into other channels. The extermination of the fur-seal herds means the ruin of the 
seal-skin industry. 
THE CANADIAN PELAGIC SEALING INTERESTS. 
It is worth while here to contrast the value and importance of the so-called 
industry which is opposed to these several interests. In the report of the British 
commissioners fer 1892? we find this statement: ‘The estimated value of the British 
Columbian vessels employed in sealing, with their equipments, as they sailed in 1892, 
was $359,000.” This valuation may be looked upon as an extreme one, and the vessels 
have deteriorated since. Mr. T. T. Williams? gives the value of the Canadian sealing 
fleet of 24 vessels in 1889, including outfits, as $173,350. The average value per vessel 
would according to this be approximately $7,200. For the 49 vessels in 1892 the 
average valuation would be $7,300. A recent estimate by Capt. C. L. Hooper‘ of the 
value of 19 of these vessels engaged in sealing in 1896, but not in 1897, was in round 
numbers $45,000, which would give an average valuation of $2,400 per vessel, a figure 
probably much nearer present conditions. 
VALUATION OF THE FLEET. 
Applying this later valuation to the entire sealing fleet of 1896—21 American 
and 66 British vessels—we have as opposed to the important interests of the United 
States. and Great Britain a capital of not to exceed $208,000. This should be 
contrasted with the capital of $5,000,000 invested in the preparation of the seal skins 
in London and with the revenue of $1,375,000 a year which the United States 
should by right be enjoying. Taking the average number of men employed per vessel 
in 1889 and 1891, we find that for the fleet of 87 vessels in 1896 there was a total of 
2,000 white men and Indians. With these should be contrasted the 2,000 or more 
skilled workmen engaged in dyeing and dressing the seal skins in London. 
The pelagic fleet in 1896 took, all told, about 70,000 skins, worth $7 apiece, or a 
gross income of about $490,000. It is not easy to estimate the expense of fitting out 
such a fleet, but if we take out of this gross earning of a little less than half a million 
the wages of 2,000 men for from three to six months, in addition to the provisions for 
‘Case of United States Fur Seal Arb., vol. I, p. 273, 
2Proc. Fur Seal Arb., vol. 6, p. 35. 
3 Fur Seal Arb., vol. 3, p. 499. 
48ee Appendix. 
