126 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
The British Parliament enacted the necessary legislation (Seal Fishery, North 
Pacific, Act 1893), an order in council” was i>assed July 4, 1893, and the agreement 
went into effect. The Pussian war vessels the Zahialca and the Yalcufj the latter a 
small transport, as Avell as two British cruisers, kept up a constant patrol of the 30- mile 
zone. 
The success of 1892 and the continued closure of the American side of Bering Sea 
during 1893 drove tlie great majority of the sealing fleet over to the Asiatic side early 
in the season, and the Commander Islands herd was, therefore, preyed upon to a 
previously unknown extent along the Japan coast during the migration, in addition to 
the slaughter of the females on the feeding grounds. No less than 35 schooners from 
Victoria, B, C., were sealing off the Commander Islands, mostly outside the 30 mile 
limit, and made a haul of 12,013 skins, while 22 schooners had hunted off the Japan 
coast, obtaining a total of 29,270 skins. It is stated that, in addition to the above 
figures relating to the Canadian fleet, the number of skins landed at Hakodate, Japan, 
by American vessels was 18,587, and by Hawaiian vessels 3,212, a total of 21,799 skins. 
A small iDcrcentage of these was undoubtedly contributed by the Kuril herd and 
Robben Island seals, but it is safe to say that the pelagic sealing of 1893 yielded 
about 00,000 Commander Island skins, the majority females. How many more were 
wastefully killed and lost it is impossible to say. 
I append a list of the Canadian vessels sealing on the Asiatic side in 1893, 
extracted from the Twenty-sixth Annual Report of the Canadian Department of Fish- 
eries (pp. CLXVi-OLXVii), as follows : 
lieport of vessels of British Columbia sealing feet sealing on the “ Bussian side,” season 1893. 
Vessels. 
Tons. 
Crews. 
Boats. 
Canoes. 
Masters. 
Catch. 
White. 
In- 
dian. 
Japan 
coast. 
Russian 
side. 
Yictoria, B. C.; 
98 
7 
28 
4 
14 
C.N. Cox 
623 
1(18 
8 
26 
12 
3 
AVni. Cox 
341 
117 
27 
8 
J. Gould 
517 
40 
7 
14 
2 
7 
H. F. Siewerd 
327 
94 
24 
7 
K. 0. Lavender 
434 
46 
5 
20 
0 
10 
20 
82 
23 
8 
401 
50 
19 
6 
A. Nelson 
294 
73 
23 
8 
W. H. Widteley 
940 
315 
59 
3 
21 
2 
10 
L. Magnesen 
77 
83 
25 
8 
547 
86 
23 
7 
920 
464 
75 
5 
14 
1 
7 
G. Heater 
46 
82 
6 
19 
2 
9 
W. D. McDongall 
303 
69 
24 
J. W. Todd 
1, 027 
274 
107 
25 
7 
M. F. Cutler 
2’ 333 
433 
92 
23 
6 
1, 441 
30 
98 
24 
7 
1, 827 
625 
60 
19 
5 
AV. Shields 
l'910 
99 
86 
8 
24 
2 
12 
M. Keefe 
397 
42 
18 
5 
E. Shields 
240 
loo 
26 
8 
408 
93 
23 
7 
F.Hackett 
1, 242 
389 
46 
14 
5 
M. Pike 
942 
iOl 
92 
26 
8 
W. O’Leary 
1, 012 
454 
63 
19 
6 
0. Buckley 
l' 473 
199 
rnTlnti,!!, f} Tnv 
76 
24 
7 
2’ 396 
376 
81 
24 
7 
W. E. Baker 
l’ 178 
1, 020 
63 
20 
6 
’ 677 
147 
50 
24 
7 
927 
475 
97 
24 
7 
B. E. McKeil 
989 
58 
63 
23 
W. O. Hnghe.s 
], 573 
406 
76 
24 
7 
517 
113 
20 
8 
,T. Halftv 
333 
Wnltp-r P. Hull 
98 
23 
7 
768 
263 
