OUR OUTLYING ISLANDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14700, 7 December 1909, Page 5

OUR OUTLYING ISLANDS.

THE SEALERIES. The _ recent intervention of a party lsf Christohureh scientists, respeofcing the proposal to issue licenses for working these islands in the open season, has roused the ire of the residents of the Bluff and the adjacent islands. The opinion put forward is that. if killing bo ■ allowed even under modified conditions tho seals will be exterminated, That opinion is founded on the fact, that throughout the soientifio expedition made a. year ago no fur seals were seen on the Auckland! Islands, nor on tho Snares, and none were found at Disappointment Island by tho wrecked mariners of tho Dundonald. That, writes our correspondent, may be true as regards the party itself, but it is altogether erroneous in respect of the reocrdcd' facts connocied with tile Dundonald catastrophe. Sevoral survivors when rescued wore boots matte out of fur seal skins, and in memory of tho occasion soma.of theso. nre* still pre* R'rveri at tho Bluff. Furthermore, the meal themselves stated, that during their .detest tion on the island seal meat was their chief article of subsistence. If, then, the scientific party's observations be no more reliable than their information, the objeotion put forward by thorn lias no real basis to rest upon. However, presuming the observation to be correctly stated, tho inferenco drawn therefrom- is simply absurd, and anyone acquainted with tho habits of tho seal would scout the bare idea of the islands being destitute of seal life simply becauoa they did not show up for tho. delectation of a party of steamboat excursionists. All tho "old hands" in the place—by whom is meant survivors of tho once popular pursuit—have been consulted on the subject, and concur in the following statement of facts:—Nearly all tho fur seal rookeries on tho Aucklands are located on the west coast, and are inaecessiblo to man, except l>y means of lowering him over the cliffs or by means of a boat landing him on the foot of theso oliffs. The 'atter method can only be adopted ,in the finest of weather, and as tho prevailing witds are from the west, a vessel might remain in harbour for several months beforo it. would bo possible to effect a landim; on tho weather sido of tho island. As rookeries are generally formed among largo boulders, it is possiblo to visit suoli a place and yet not Eee moro than one or two old male seals, who act in the capacity of sentinels, although .probably a hundred "or more 6eals might be secreted nndor tho rocks. Fur wals on rookeries that have been previously worked readily scent daJiger, and immediately on a warning cry from tho lookout get under cover. A vessel might steam round iho islands and soo no sign of fui seals, but that is no ovidenos that they do not exist. Tho only possiblo way to find out whether or not tho fur 6eal is increasing is to visit and thoroughly examine the various rookeries; and that certainly was not done by tho soientifio party. Thero are one or two rookeriee on the Auckland Islands (hat have not been visited for at least 25 years, so it is impossible to slate their numbers in such places. It is quite likely that the scic.ntifio party saw move seals at the Bounties than at any of tho other outJiying islands, for, owing to tile exposed nature of the former, it is impossible for seals to conceal themselves in the same manner as at the Aucklands, Campbell, ami Snwtes Islands, and th? opinion of experienced scalers round the Ulutf is that no reliance could be placed on any such assertion as that made by the party of scientists that seals would be exterminated if the season were opened.