Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-12

AN ACCOUNT OF THE PRIBYLov aRouP-How THE
SEALS ALL KILLED AND THE NATIVES WHO DO
TIE woRK-wHAT THE CANADIANS HAVE DONE
TIE REMEDY FOR THE EVIL.
Mr.. J. Stanley Brown, who was sent aa spe,
cial agent to Boring SEQ last season and who
mas been the secretary Of the Boring sea COM
mission, recently held in this city, delivered an
interesting and timely lecture last evening be-
fore the National Geographic Society at the
Universalist Church on the subject Of the
Seal Islands"
The church was filed with An audience that
listened to the lecture with more than
usual interest Mr.. Stanley Brown began his
lecture with an account Of the original pur-
chase Of Alaska. He said that included within
that purchase were the Pribylov Islands SO
small and so yelled by the mists and foRs of
Boring sea that it took the Russians years of
persistent search to find them. Although
these tiny islets represent SO few square
miles that it seems As though they would have
oeen overlooked in SO gigantic a real
shores have yielded the government Of the
Onlted states many more dollars than were
originally paid for the entire territory.
THE PRIBYLov GROUP.
He then won't on to give an account Of the
exploration and geological origin and geo.
graphical position of the islands. The
Pribylov group consists of four members.
$. Paul, an island some twelve miles long
and six or eight miles wide il the largest,
and within six miles of it are Otter and Walrus
Islands. Nearly half the life OF the seal
Is spent upon these islands or in the
waters adjacent to them. There it is born,
there 1t first learns to take care of itself
in the water and to its birthplace it annually
returns The most interesting feature of the
binatlon OF rocky shore and perpetual mois-
ture is SO attractive to them that to these
far-awav islands they annually come
and congregate in thousands upon well
defined areas called ''rookeries." In late April
or early May the large males or bulls. as they
are called, first make their appearance.
Each one pre-empts a little rocky claim
upon which during the next eighty
days, without food or water, and resisting
even to the death the encroachment Of all in
Throughout this period they are the en-
bodimept OF ferocity and will attack human
beings without the slightest hesitation.
The maximum extension of the rookeries
is reached about the 18th or Goth of July and
there is but a brief space between the period of
elimination and the beginning of dissolution.
Just the moment the young seals or '.pups"
reach the point of maturity that enables them
to wander about the compact, orderly arrange
ment OF the breeding grounds begins to be lost.
or the seals, said Mr.. Brown, 1.-The three
and four-year colds furnish the prime skins.
They are known under the term bachelor seals
Let me here distinctly impress upon you the
fact that interference with the breeding
grounds Is not permitted, but all seals
killed on the islands are the selected
bachelor seals. The seals are poly gamous and
therefore the taking Of reasonable number of
young male seals under governmental SUPER
vision cannot destroy the rookeries any more
than the selling of steers and the reservine of
cows can destroy stock raiser's herd
THE NATIVES WHO KILL THE SEALS
After describing at some length the method
Of killing the seals that are selected for the
purpose the lecturer went on to give an enter
tanning account Of the natives that are
engaged i'll this work. Coming down
to the international aspects of the case.
the most interesting at the present point in
the Boring sea complications MIR. Stanley
Brown remarked that the seal has reached
another stage in its career. 1.-THE necessity has
arisen." he said. 'for involving its future
in the meshes Of international red tape
This iuckess nmphibian is now fully launched
upon its international career and its future
estate will largely depend upon the wisdom.
the fairness and the honesty of purpose of
further diplomatic Negotiations There never
was question which OF itself
the settlement Of which is SO
complicated by conflicting interests and
diverse jurisdictional powers. In this matter
o. the threatened determination of the first
seal there are really but three propositions
involved: "a Are the seals being extermin-
ated? (2) What are the causes? 90 What are
the remedies?
care the seals diminishing? II they are not.
why all this contention? unhesitatingly say.
after more than four months opportunity for
nhaa hat
visited the Pribylov Islands during the
past two years and given even the most in
different attention to the subject, Can honestly
state that the seals have not reached, If indeed
they are not we'll within, the danger
line OF depletion. No one can stand on
those rookeries and compare tho areas
now and formerly occupied by the seals with
out realizing from the object lesson how great
has been the destruction OF seal life The Joint
commission to whom was first intrusted the
settlement OF this question have investi-
called, have met, have reported and have
adjourned. Very properly the deiibera-
tions OF this tribunal were secret, but surely we
can without violating the prophecies venture
to believe reputable journal which tells US
that the guarded conclusion was reached that
since the Alaska purchase the number
OF seals in Behring sea has perceptibIy
decreased. From my acquaintance with seal
III Boring sea think the most conser vatlve
member OF the commission might have gone 90
|
What are the causes of this diminution?
The earliest explorers found species of
the fur seal in no less than twenty locali-
ties in the south. By the indiscr,minate
| and unrestricted slaughter they have been
absolutely destroyed as seal herds. In nearly
all of those localities ample protection
could have been given to the unfortunate
Creatures and their humiliation avoided. put
outside Of Boring sea aud Lobos Island, which
under government protection yields about
5000 skins annually, practically no seals
OF the fur-besring species are now taken.
Many OF the seals shot are not secured, for
often they sink before they can be grappled, or
else, being MORALLY wounded, dash away only
to die later on. But tho greatest evil Of all Is
that 70 per cent of the seals taken in the
northern Pacific are females the unborn of
which perishes on the death Of the mother.
THE CANADIANS WORK.
I'm 1879" continued Mr.. Brown, ''the Cana.
dian fishery reports began to take notice Of the
pelagic catch, and We find that the Canadian
vessels took that year II, 800 seals. Up to I0SS
the Canadian fishery reports show mean
skins were shiPpsd to London. In the thrse
following ysass thsrs vars taken g so