SEA-OTTER HUNTING IN THE KURILS 297 
knew nothing of its value, extent, or possibilities, 
until foreigners exploited it; and when they did 
know, instead of acting in a business-like way with 
the assistance of foreigners, and so reaping the 
advantage of their knowledge, they tried to work it 
themselves by sending up some officials who could 
not tell an otter from an elephant. Moreover, they 
made it a monopoly of the Kaitakushi, and forbade 
their own people to engage in it. This policy was 
continued until 1889, when the Teikoku Suisan 
Kaisha (Imperial Marine Products Company) was 
founded ; and when the fur-seal rookeries were dis¬ 
covered (also by foreigners), amongst the unin¬ 
habited islands and rocks of the middle and northern 
Kurils, the same policy was still pursued, although 
the authorities were again approached by foreigners 
with advantageous proposals. This ended in foreign 
vessels getting the cream of the catches until there 
was little or nothing left, and then the Japanese 
suddenly turned round and did all they could to 
encourage their own people to fit out vessels and 
embark in the business, subsidizing them to the 
extent of 10 yen per ton per annum. This is still 
kept up, and now there are over thirty Japanese 
vessels, engaged mostly in sealing, which extend 
their operations as far as the Pribyloff Islands in 
the Bering Sea. 
