Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12

BEHRISG SEA
or the sea of Kamchatka is an inciosed triangle
with Its apex at Behripg strait and its base
formed by a curved line of islands running
across from America to Asia. Including Nor
toni sound and Bristol bay, its entire area is
about 100000 square miles. The St. Georges
Islands and ST. Pauls Islands, where most of
the seal fishing is done, belong to the Pribyloff
group, lying off the coast of Alaska to the
southwest of the mouth of the Yukon river
Almost all the rest of the seal fishing, SO
far as the north Pacific is concerned,
Is done at the Commander Islands and off the
coast. The sovereignty of this great arch-
pelago is claimed by Russia and the United
States, the line which separates their respective
CLAIMS being an imaginary one running for a
distance of 800 miles from Cape Prince of Wales
to point near Alton Island, of the Aleutian
| group. OF course up to tho time of ceding
Alaska to the United States by Russia the latter
country claimed absolute jurisdiction over this
whole water. This right, however, was chal-
| lenged at one time, aud it was practically ad-
initted by Russia that the right did not exist
strange as 1t may seem, in the light of recent
and present events, America Joined actively In
| the protest against Russia's claims
THE FISHERY QUESTION
as it now stands depends for its solution upon
! the nature Of the rights ceded to America by
Russia and the disputed point whether or not
Behring sea is a closed sea. The question is
whether Behring sea shall be regarded as a
pu 6nn fishing ground or as private preserve.
seals from many parts of the world, an extInc-
ton by no means dissimilar to that which be-
fell the race Of buffalo, the Behring sea fish
cries lave become immensely valuable AL
ready the seals have been driven far to the
northward by sealing vessels that are regarded
by this government as pirates, and it has been
estimated that as many as 260,000 seals have
been killed in year by these illegitimate and
apparently irresponsible vessels. Seals were
| formerly captured in numbers off the north
west coast of the United States and within the
memory OF people now living they were BY
| no means uncommon as far south as the lower
part of California. Already they have been
driven up into the very northern part of the
Pacific ocean and even there they are nothing
like as numerous as they were a few years ago
Then the sealing company that leased from
the American government the right to take
lOO.OO0 seals per annum used to find it neces-
sary to drive back into the water hundreds of
thousands Of bachelor seals, which they might
not touch. This year it has been stated that the
company would find it difficult, if not even
impossible, to get the desired number AL
though this latter statement has not met with
entire credence the fact remains that if the
present death rate Is maintained among these
luckless plnnlpeds the day is not far distant
when sealskin muffs and oyercoats will have
become thing of the past and sealskin
sacques-objects desired of all women-will be
known only by name as a memory Of o bygone
age.
THE BREEDING SEASON.
If there are any seal now in the neighbor-
hood of the United States their presence is not
known, and it would be necessary for them to
seek some decidedly isolated rock for a breeding
ground. 1t is more likely by far that there are
none LETT. In the spring OF the year, generally
about May the seals begin to go north to the
breeding grounds among the islands Of Behring
sea. The males precede the females by ten
days or two weeks, and when the latter arrive
they are met at the shore by their fond spouses
The males, which are very considerably the
larger and stronger, pick the females up by
the back OF the neck in much the same man
ner as cat does her young kittens
Each male takes as many wives as he can get
In this manner, generally from three to six or
eight, and carries them off to the breeding
grounds or 'rookeries," as they are called.
Here the male seal guards his barem as jeal-
ously as the typical Turk. Ali the Young male
seals are driven off and not allowed to come
near at peril Of their lives. They form the
class OF bachelor seals, they are called and it
take.
BABY SEALS
The young are born while the seal are ON
their rookeries and it is not until well along
into the summer that baby seal is old enough
TO look out for his own interests in any way.
he Is not able to take care of himself and each
day the mother seal finds it necessary to 90 ont
to sea in search of food for her young one at
nome. young seal is not a natural Swimmer
and II he were allowed to 60 into the water ali
at once, SO to speak, he would drown. So the
mother hnds 1t necessary to give the baby
numerous swimming lessons before she Ia
wiling to let him go down to the water by
himself or in the company Of other equally
green and reckless youngsters. Until well on
rrh h. ~
the skin Is Of desirable quality and during the
breeding season the mother falls
AN EASY PREY TO THE PIRATE sEALER,
VINO makes no discrimination Of age or sex.
Not being allowed to land, of course, nor to
come within the three mile limit laid down in
international law as sacred, the pirate must do
all his killing out in the open water. heavy
rihe answers his purpose, and as q result many
pretty little baby seal is made an orphan and
left without the slightest visible means Of sup
port Being too young and guileless to look
out Tor himself, and knowing no more about
providing the necessities of life than any other
oaoy, MS soul soon goes to join that Of his
only comes in accordance with law and the re-
vised statutes. Another fact that causes endless
waste and destruction is that unless q seal ia
struck In a certain way it will sink at once and
It's body cannot be recovered. Thus two out
OF every three female seal shot out in the open
water stand no show at all Of ever making
their appearance on Rotten Row or 6th avenue,
protecting the form Of some proud patrician
lady. As . result Of this illegal and indis-
criminate method Of Killing for every one seal
that is put upon the market six have met with
an untimeiy death.
TO PREVENT TIE sLAudHrER.
That some means should be adopted to put
a stop to this wanton and useless slaughter il
q fact that has never been denied when fairly
stated. few years ago the attempts was made
70 OBTAIN an international agreement with that
END IN view. One proposition suggested was
that ior aeertain period Of years vessel should
De allowed to clear from any port whatever for
Behring sea during certain months in the