The sun., 1891-07-10
THE RETURN OF THE DANUBE
She Reports That the vlctorie sealina
Schooncrs Will Enter Behring Sea.

oCuOOncro Will Enter bemrhuS oces
| WARRINGTON. juno 9.-The steamer Danube
which left Victoria over three weeks ago Tor
sard Point. In the Shumagin Islands. has re-
turned to that port with about $4,000 sealskins
the product OF tho catch OF the Dominion fleet
outside OF Behring Sea up to the latter part Of
June. They were transferred to her from moro
than forty vessels which had had various de-
Rrees OF luck. tho Viva making tho top catch
with 1890 skins.
Probably the Danube did not bring away all
the skins that had been captured before she
left. Last year tho steamer that went out
from Victoria for like purpose found more
than she could carry, and q schooner was hired
to take the rest a little later. Tho Danube
also must have left Sand Point while a
week or ten days OF hunting south OF tho
Aleutian chain remained. The Victoria
feet is apt to enter Behrng Sea from the LIST
to the 4th Of July. at the earliest It is. there
fore. possible that its outside catch may
amount to 10000. especially since there Is
hunting. whom the seals return from the
Pribylov rookeries. There may also be a little
sealing within the prohibited waters until tho
vessels are warned of. And while the total
Dominion catch will thus not fall very far short
Of last years. Russia has not yet como into the
n,odus uirendi compact. and her Copper Island
catch should be about equal to that OF last
summer when 1t amounted to $4,000 skins.
The principal falling of. In fact. will be at our
Government islands. where the limit is to be
$500. or about one-third OF what was taken
last year. The aggregate destruction OF seal
life will. perhaps. not fall moro than one-fourth
short OF what It was last year. II as much.
The $4,000 skins brought to Victoria by the
Danube represent the wasteful pelsgic hunting
unGer which fewer than rpa bali & of the animals nj
out from various ports between San Francisco
to St. Paul and ST. George islands. The ami.
mails cluster In small schools. ana while they
and S tSs e sss ns
shoot them. When the first alarm is given Q
rapid and indiserlminate fire may bs Eesortsd
ths herd may be carried On for hui hundreds y Of
i!ss sels that ' cruz I se seross the ensranses to
Behrlne Sea Sea behind the A. islaEds Of the Aleutian
e nc east The oa
Of the animals. and vessels are there stationed
to intercept and slaughter them. Last yea.
wounded haI sunk; The greet destr}petion IL n
thesee. hses arriving more 1hausts from their long
journey north. are killed with more or ease; Tho
at q the ssa' and
f. % ss1s:
is especially ruinous to seal life.
The large cargo brought back BY the Danube
thus indicates q leading source Of tho recent
diminutlon in the number OF these animals. 1t
also suggests that even With the M,0dus puerdi
agreement at last effected lor BehrinR Sea.
and enforced there, England and America,
with Russia and such other maritime coun-
regulations. each for its own people. as to the
OF Behring Sea. In the North Pacific. where no
nation can exercise exclusive jurisdiction.
The Danube carried to Sand Point the news
Of the 1nOduS rirendi agreement. which was
naturally received with much dissatisfaction.
and she reports that the Dominion scaling
schooners have all resolved to enter Behring
Sea. and to carry on their hunting there until
titled TO do. 50 far as their own government Is
founded on a joint agreement had not been
issued when the Danube left Victoria,
and they are under no obligation to take its
unofficial Information as q notice TO quit. But
our revenue cutters are by this time among
them. and proper official warning has doubt
less been issued. to which they will un0ues-
tionab!y submit Indeed. Il would be prepos-
they are guaranteed by their own Government
against the losses they may suffer from the
enforcement OF tue mOdls rirendi agreement.
They will take very few seals in Behring Sea
thio year,