The sun., 1891-06-16
THE SLAUGHTER OF TIE SEALS.
An Unusually Large Number for tho Earl
Season Have AlreRdy Been Killed.

An Unusually Large Number for tho Early
Season Have Already Been Killed.
WASHINGTON. June 1s.-Twen,y thous and
fur seals are sad to havs been nlrendy taken
in tho outside catch Of tho Victoria reot. whi.h
is gathered OF Sand Point. at the Shumagin
Islands. This was done TO Crent extent
while Great Britain was considering whether
The would consent to tho taking Of $500 seals
by the United Stntes lessees from the Pribylov
Islnn Ia as a condit on OF tho agreement Just
proclaimed by tho President.
On friday steamer sailed as usual from
Victoria to bring back the early June catch Of
akins from the Sand Point rendezvous. SO that
the fleet may at once enter Bebrine Sea and
begin operations there. This steamer will be
OF further use to tho busy vessels by informing
them that Parliament had Just passed the bill
providing for tho Issue OF IN order prohibiting
them from killing seals In Behring Sea. But 1t
will alsn say that up to the moment Of its do
parture that order in council had not been Is
sued by the British Government. and that tho
authorities at WASHINGTON were still cnnfnb.
bing about the matter. Perhaps 1t will add
that it had taken tho precaution to hurry on
before the prohibitory order should be issued
With this friendly warning to guide them the
1orty-nine Victoria vessels would lose no time in
following the seals INFO Behrine Sea or going
ahead to wait for them there. And Il they do
MT scatter and keep a good watch for any
smoke appearing on the horizon. lest they
should be boarded either by an American or
British Government vessel with the formal
notihcati. n to leave BehrinR Sea. before they
have made good haul it will be their own
fau,t But Government vessels will soon fol-
low the Victoria and there will now be littlo
seal killing in Behrine sca this year.
Still 1t is not unlikely that for the 1900 sea
taken by tho Pribylov lesseas there will be
75.0CO taken by other persons. The British
Columbia people have Rone into the business
this year with full knowledge that they may 10
interrupted at any moment by their own Gov.
erDment. through the conclusion OF tho long
pending negotiations for a close season. Ac.
cordingly, they have sent out a very large
be wbe Il sr the renorss ~ als
Just reSsived are true. they have been re-
yictorin from Sand Point On tho 2Sd OF July "
Wh the srs sah e ooI ths s5sh
ported @ ,at the the total catch Of twenty-one
gaged In the work. 50 that 20. 900 skins may
Mischief which last year left Victoria on the
18TH Of June for Shumagln Islands. reached
hs Vsto9" es nSs RIA, the catch q M
amounted TO I2.5G6 skins and five other yes
sells reported a catch OF ZOO SKINS Cant
Erskine OF the steamer ST. Paul gave an az.
British Columbian vessels up to July, OF last
year. and that is about the date when thoy
usually enter Bshrins Sea The catch at the
Russian Islands IN that sea was 5a.OM last
year. Assum nR that Russia should decline 10
interfere with its lcssecs during the present
season. the probabilities arc that over 75.OIO
skins sI, VIII be taEen Il the North Pacific and
OF ho mGdus rirs,di.
One point relating to the outside catch now
so briskly going on deserves attention. There
IL no question that this IL tho most d asst ous
I" the seals OF all the methods OF hunting Ii
occurs during May and Juno. when tho her Is
rri!,yiov and Commander Islam 8. and Just at
the time whe1 tLere should be no killing ut aIl.
Again. The hunting ~ done by shooting t'ln
animals In the open ron. % that there Is no
nnpo'tunity OF distinguish ng sex. nnd thus
tho females are slaughtered nS wcll ns Tho
males which Is thing never allowed at ihe
Goyernment islands. Finally great part OF
10000 shins there may be $4,000 oftho animals
destroyed.
:. It was for this reason TINT oven Sir Julian
pRuncetoto proposed that pelogic scaling
should lie nrohib tod not only in Eehrbg Soa
but in tho Sea OF Dchotsk and in ad DIN ing
whom the nnimas move north to tho Islands,
and also during the months Of October. Novem.
Eer. and Eec.mber. wncn they move south
Tho object Of such provisional regulation
would he. ms Sir Julian expressed II. 10 nut u
stop To The s9uGhter OF iemalo senls W tn young
narrow passes OF tho Aisutinn Islands" The
Is no doubt ns to the merit OF this proposal. and
IT should he tho subject OF mutual ngreem int
Tor another season.