ALASKA. 
5 2 
States, although it had laws made against them. But in 1886, 
this practice of taking seals at sea became so largely extended that 
it excited apprehensions for the safety of the herd, and it was per¬ 
haps thought at that time that there was already observable in the 
condition of the herd some damaging, destructive consequence of 
that pursuit of them by sea. 
The attention of the United States having been called to the 
practice, that Government determined to prevent it, and the first 
method to which it resorted was an enforcement of the laws upon 
her statute book which prohibited the practice, and subjected all 
vessels engaged in it to seizure and confiscation. Instructions 
were accordingly given to the cruisers of the United States to sup¬ 
press the practice and to enforce those laws. The result was that 
in the year 1886, three British vessels and some American vessels 
were taken while engaged in the pursuit illegally under the laws 
of the United States. They were carried in and condemned.” 
| See Fur Seal Arbitration Proceedings, Vol. XII, pp. 6-11.] 
These seizures, after much diplomatic correspondence, led to 
the final adoption of a treaty between the United States and 
Great Britain, which was signed at Washington, February 29, 
1892, the text of which is as follows: 
The United States of America and Her Majesty the Queen of the United 
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, being desirous to provide for an amica¬ 
ble settlement of the questions which have arisen between their respective 
governments concerning the jurisdictional rights of the United States in the 
waters of Bering Sea, and concerning also the preservation of the fur seal in, 
or habitually resorting to, the said sea, and the rights of the citizens and sub¬ 
jects of either country as regards the taking of fur seal in, or habitually resort¬ 
ing to, the said waters, have resolved to submit to arbitration the questions 
involved, and to the end ol concluding a convention for that purpose have 
appointed as their respective plenipotentiaries: 
The President of the United States of America, James G. Blaine, Secretary 
of State of the United States; and 
Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire- 
