262 



THE ASIATIC FDR-SEAL ISLANDS. 

 lAsi of schooners hunting off the coast of Japan, spring season 1S9^.^ 



This indicates that pelagic sealing off the coast of Japan really began in 1892, 

 just previous to its sudden start on the Copper Island grounds. 



THREE CLASSES OF PELAGIC SEALERS IN JAPANESE "WATERS. 



It will be noted, therefore, that pelagic sealing on the Asiatic side is a direct 

 transplantation of the pelagic sealing on the American side. It was started by the 

 same men in the same vessels, employing the same meJ;hods and the same implements. 

 Consequently there is but little difference in the pelagic sealing off Japan that 

 requires being gone into specially in the present connection. ' 



There were in Japan, however, two other classes of sealers who soon learned the 

 advantages of the new trade and adopted it, viz, those native Japanese who had 

 already for some time carried on a legitimate sealing business, notably the people of 

 the Suisan Kaisha, and the native population who had been killing seals in winter 

 near the coast on the one hand, and the foreign schooner owners and captains residing 

 in Japan, who for years had made that country the favored home of the raiders. 



There are consequently three distinct classes of sealers interested in the Japan 

 seal catch, viz: (1) the American and British sealing schooners coming across from 

 America every spring and returning to America after finished sealing ; (2) the schooners 

 owned and ofScered by foreign residents in Japan, and (3) the schooners owned, 

 mostly ofiQcered, and manned by Japanese citizens. 



Hitherto the first class has been the most numerous on the sealing grounds, but 

 as the business is gradually becoming less profitable their number is falling off. At 

 the same time the latter classes, particularly the third one, show signs of increase, as 

 they are able to run cheaper and make a profit where the more expensive craft would 

 seal at a loss. 



MIGRATIONS OF COMMANDER ISLANDS HERD. 



The detailed logs of 39 schooners, from 1893 to 1896, that is, of all that it has been' 

 possible for me to collect, enable us to show with considerable exactness the spring 

 migration route of the Commander Islands seal herd on their way to the rookeries, as 

 indicated by the localities, numbers, and dates of seals taken. Incidentally these logs 



' Mr. B.J. King, of Hakodate, has recently glren me a list including 3 additional schooners and somewhat different 

 figures. These, I believe, have been obtained at the custom-house in Hakodate. The list is as follows : 



Skins. 



C, G.White 712 



Ivanlioe 1, 780 



Penelope 1,612 



Skins. 



San Diego , . 2, 460 



Kate & Anna 1,222 



E.E.Webster i 786 



