THE RUSSIAN FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 
125 
tlie proof that the Willie McGowan, and Ariel,, or their boats, had been sealing inside 
the 3 niile limit was considered insufficient. The findings of the commission are 
rendered in detail in the Twenty-sixth Annual lleport of the Canadian Department 
of Fisheries. 
The experience of 1892 was conclusive proof that it was feasible for the schooners 
to stay 20 miles away from the islands and yet send in their boats to the rookeries to 
lirey upon the breeding seals going to and fro. It Avas also made plain that there would 
be vei'y little chance of stopping the traffic by means of large cruisers patx’olling the 
sea. The Eussian authorities, therefore, Avere very anxious to establish a ]»rohibitive 
zone around the islands Avide enough to make it imiiossible for the boats to raid the 
rookeries iudei)endently, the mere presence of the schooner inside of this limit being 
evidence of illegal sealing. ITegotiatious Avere jirogressiiig during the winter of 1892 
and 189.3 between the two governments, and finally, in May, 1893, a provisional agree- 
ment Avas entered into betAveen Kiissia and Great Britain establishing a protective 
zone of 30 miles around the Commander Islands and Robben Island. It is evident 
that the Eussian authorities at that time Avere unaware of the fact that the great 
bulk of the skins taken by the British Columbia sealing fleet were obtained on the 
feeding-grounds of the breeding females, and were also ignorant of the exact location 
of these grounds, or they Avonld not have rested satisfied Avirli the zone of 30 miles, 
which has been of but A-ery little protective Amlue to the seals. In Anew of the role 
Avdiich the Eussian accei)tance of this 30-mile zone played in the establishment of 
the GO-mile zone around the Eribylof Islands, it is important to remember that in 
accepting the 30-mile zone the Russians had a much more limited ohject in vicAA^, Adz, 
to malce it impossihle for the pelagic sealers to raid the rooheries. 
THE PROVISIONAL AGREEMENT OF MAY, 1893. 
The provisional arrangement, Avhich Avas to be entirely Avithout reti’oactive force 
as regards the British vessels seized in 1892, is as folloAvs: 
I. During the year ending December, 1893, the English Government Avill prohibit their subjects 
from killing or hunting seal within a zone of 10 marine miles on all the Russian coasts of Behring Sea 
and the North Pacific Ocean, as well as Avithin a zone of 30 marine miles around the Komaudorsky 
Islands and Tulimew (Rohben Island). 
II. British vessels engaged in hunting .seals within the aforesaid zones, beyond Russian terri- 
torial Avaters, may be seized by Russian cruisers, to be handed over to British cruisers or to the nearest 
British authorities. In case of impediment or difliculty, the commander of the Russian cruiser may 
confine himself to seizing the papers of the aforementioned vmssels, iu order to deliver them to a 
British cruiser or to transmit them to the nearest British authorities on the first ojiportunity. 
III. Her Majesty’s Government engage to bring to trial before the ordiimry tribunals, offering 
all necess.ary guarantie.s, the British A'essels which may be seized as having been engaged in sealing 
within the prohibited zones beyond Russian territorial Avaters. 
lA^. The Imperial Russian GoAmrnment Avill limit to 30,000 the number of seals Avhich may be 
killed during the year 1893 on the coasts of the islands of Komandorsky and 1 uleueAV (Kobben 
Island ). 
V. An agent of the British Government may visit the aforementioned islands (Komaudorsky 
and Tulenew) in order to obtain from the local authorities all necessary information on the working and 
results of the agreement arrived at, but care should be taken to give previous information to the.se 
authorities of the jilace and time of his visit, Avhich should not be prolonged beyond a few Aveeks. 
VI. The present arrangement has no retroactive force as regards British A'essels captured pre- 
viously by the cruisers of the Imperial Russian Marine. 
