The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-10-06
STUDYING SEALS.
British Commissioners in the
Behring Sea.
Alaska'S. Governor Reports on the Work
Of The POaGh6rS.
Immense Slaughter In Violation Of the
LaR-COming Election in Chile.
Reply 10 The Porte.
Epeeial to The MORNING CALI

OTTAWA {Ontl Oct 5.-Word has been
received here by the Department of Marine
and Fisheries from Victoria, B. c., that H
NJ. S. Pheasant brought news from Behring
Sea of the movements of Powell and Daw-
son, the British Commissioners investI-
eating the seal fisheries question. They
arc at present on board the steamer Dan
ube, and have been visiting the Commander
Islands in the Russian waters to the west of
Behriug Sea.
They obtained from the Russian suthori-
ties permission to visit these islands in Or
der to study the movements Of the seals and
to discover what truth there is in the story
that 10 the seasons when seals are plentiful
on ST. Georges, ST. Pauls and other islands
on the eastern side of Behring Sea they are
scarce on the Commander Islands, and vice
versa. This season the seals are plentiful.
At the breeding islands there are millions
OF them. At st. Psuls Island full half a
million seals are In sight At ST. Georges
Island, however, the number is not so great
1t was found by fastening tin clips to the
tails Of young seals that they do not remain
in the vicinity of their native place, but
cross from side to side OF Behring Sea,
A DISPUTED SUBJECT.
The Pheasant brings a report that several
female seals were killed during the sucking
season by the Commissioners. aud their
stomachS were found to contain nothing but
little seaweed and pebbles. This is all
important point ana one on which the
Commissioners have received special in
structions. During the last conferences at
Washington Secretary Blaine held that the
most serious reason for stringent restric-
tons on taking seals in the Behring Sea
was that the mother seals, which during
the sucking season swan fifty miles every
day to the feeding-grOunds, would be taken
in great numbers and the young seals which
they left on shore ON the Island would perish
unless the mother seals were protected. He
said the race OF seals would thus soon be
eXteTmina ed.
Sir Charles Upper argued against this
that as q matter OF fact the mother seals
never left their young during the sucking
season, during which time the mothers took
no food at all. Secretary Blaine ridiculsd
this idea as one unheard OF IN natural MS
tory, but Sir Charles pointed out that the
seal, as alternating animal, had store of
fat on which it could well suOsiSt for long
time. The report that the Stomachs of the
mother seals were found empty, bear out
upper ; bldLSill6uI
The steamer Danube is expected at Vic
toria before the end of the week.
WHAT THE POACHERs HAVE DONE.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5.-Hon. Lyman E.
Knapp, Governor of Alaska, in his annual
report 10 the Secretary OF the Interior, de-
votes considerable space to the seal islands
and the seal industry. The most serious
difficulty IN the matter, says the Governor,
is the Legitimate slaughter Of females and
their young in the open sea. There is no
doubt that most valuable industry and the
fruitful source Of 4 national income is in
danger. More than 100 marauding vessels
are lowering about the islands in Benring
Sea during the season aud large numbers of
skins ars taken. The steamer Danube
made a special trip to the Northern Pacific
during the latter part OF JGue, reaching
Victoria on the return July 9th last, having
on board nearly 1900 sealskins received
from thirty five sealing vessels, which it
met apparently by appointment. Those de-
hveriDg their cargoes TO the Danube were
all British vessels The Governor estimates
the number of seals illegltimately taken
during the small part of last season at from
10000 to 10000, and the value OF the products
Alaska exported during the year was S.
$40 900,