The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-25

Testimony Of VIM. Dsmpier, the Great
Navigator, Given Two Centuries Ago.


Navigator, Given Two Centuries Ago.
PoKr TOWNSEND, April a, 1891.
The following letter from Captain H. H. Lloyd,
received by me April q, will be OF interest to
those persons who have followed the controversy
between Mr.. Henry W. Elliott aud myself. in
which he dramatically reiterates his wild state
ments about the fur seals of the far North Pa
cifc ocean and Bering sea, which have proved
to be false and misleading
ORIENTAL HOTEL,
VICTORIA. B. c., April q, 1891
Hon. James G. Swan-Denr Sir: Al there has
been so much said and written whether a fur
seal pup can or will swim, and it seems that the
propose to give you the evidence OF one that no
man will question. That is William Dampier,
IN m the second edition OF bis .voysges Around
Crown, id St. Paula Churchyard, London, 1897,
He landed on the island OF Juan Fernandex
March g. 1854, and In his description OF the pro-
Quota and life on the islands he thus describes
the fur seal, the first that he ever saw. He
writes: "For these (fur seal) at Juan Fernandez
have fine, thick, short fur, the like of which
these seas here are always thousands, might
say possibly millions OF them, resting on the
bays or going and coming In the sea around the
at the top of the water playing and summing
themselves for mile or two from the shore.
When they come out OF the water they bleat like
through hundreds Of young before they come to
their own, they viii not suffer any Of them to
suck. The young ones are Like puppies and
much ashore, but when beaten by any of US, they
iseu as the old ones ir make torard the sea and
s,cim very s,rih and aimb!e, though on shore they
lie very singgishly and will not 60 out of our
ways unless we beat them, but snap at u.s. Large
skins '-~ 49, -
This is the evidence of one of the closest OBJ
servers, who had ample time to study their hab-
its as the crews of both his ships trusted largely
for their fresh meat to the seals killed while in
the south seas. Yours respectfully,
The fur seals have disappeared from the island
OF juan Fernandes since Dampier's time and
taken up some other rookery, hut their habits
are the same, and the sluggish little pups he
mentions, that would not move till they were
beaten, could swim very lively when forced into
the water. Elliott says they will sink like q
stone, but from Dampier's time in 1854 to the
present no other writer but Elliott asserts that
fur seal pup will sink like q stone. Henry w.
Elliott has immortalized himself by scientific
discovery contrary to all natural laws OF AMI
mails, and contrary to fact. 1t ID gratifying to
observe, now that the Alaska Commercial Com
pany have gone out of the fur seal business, so
far as the lease OF the Pribilof and Copper
islands are concerned, that the facts about the
habits OF fur seals, which for the past twenty
three years they have suppressed, and mainly
by the writings OF their Elliott, are now begin
ming to come to light, and the great wrong he
has inflicted on Alaska and upon American citi-
Gems by driving American vessels under the
British dag 10 beginning to be known In WASH
ington City, where he has held autocratic sway
for SO many years Is the ''only man in the world
who knows about fur SEALS The public are
beginning to awake to the fact that our country
has been driven to the verge OF war with Great
Britain by the persistent falsehoods Of an Ana
Mas working for the interests OF Q monopoly
against the interests Of American citizens. Our
fishermen can now take courage that when the
light of truth dawns upon the councils OF the
nation this grievous wrong will be righted, and
American fishermen will have the same rights
in the Pacific that they now have In the North
Atlantic ocean. JAMES G. SWAN