CO885-(23-24) — Page 281

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Reference:

C.O._885

23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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12

TITRE V.

Déchéance et Pénalités.

Art. 22-Sont passibles du retrait d'autorisation avec saisie partielle ou totale du cautionnement, les infractions aux articles 8, 9, 11, 13 et 18 du présent décret. Un arrêté du gouverneur en conseil fixera la procédure de déchéance.

Art. 23-Sont passibles, au profit du budget local de la colonie ou possession intéressée, d'une amende de 1,000 à 10,000 fr. les infractions aux articles 4, 12, 14, 15 et 16 du présent décret et aux arrêtés du gouverneur rendus en exécution de l'article 10.

Ces pénalités ne seront applicables aux colonies de la Martinique, de la Guadeloupe et de la Réunion qu'après intervention d'un décret rendu dans la forme des règlements d'administration publique.

Art. 24.-Les infractions prévues à l'article 23 sont de la compétence des tribunaux correctionnels. Les dispositions de l'article 463 du code pénal leur sont applicables.

TITRE VI.

Dispositions Transitoires.

Art. 25.-Les sociétés ou particuliers qui, antérieurement à la promulgation du présent décret, se seraient livrés à la pêche aux animaux énumérés à l'article 1", dans les eaux d'une colonie ou possession française, bénéficieront de la préférence pour obtenir dans cette colonie ou possession l'autorisation de continuer leur entre- prise aux conditions du présent décret pour la campagne de pêche qui suivra sa promulgation.

Art. 26.-Le ministre des colonies et le ministre de la marine sont chargés, chacun en ce qui le concerne, de l'exécution du présent décret, qui sera publié au Journal officiel de la République française, aux Journaux officiels des colonies françaises et inséré au Bulletin des lois et aux Bulletins officiels du ministère des colonies, et du ministère de la marine.

Fait à Eze, le 12 avril 1914.

Par le Président de la République : Le ministre des colonies,

Le ministre de la marine,

A. LEBRUN.

R. POINCARÉ.

GAUTHIER,

24339

No. 7.

FALKLAND ISLANDS. STATEMENT showing the Number and Description of Whales captured; the Number of Barrels of Whale-Oil; the Value Approximate; in respect of the Whaling Companies operating in the Waters of the Dependencies of the South Shetlands, Graham's Land, and the South Orkneys during the Whaling Season ending the 30th September, 1913.

Name of Company.

(Received 3rd June, 1914.)

3

96,000

Description of Whales Captured,

Barrels of Approximate

Oil.

Value.

Bluc.

Fin.

Humpback

Right.

Total.

Norge Co.

169

242

89

510

24,000

Hektor Co.

880

856

47

789

98,100

152,400

Normanna Co.

12

179

47

240

8,700

84,800

Thule Co.

10

181

48

220

7,000

28,000

Rathval Co..

7

140

14

161

6,050

24,200

Hvalan Co.

100

281

108

495

22,200

88,800

Laboremus Co.

187

268

74

524

22,000

88,000

Odd Co.

187

255

151

548

20,000

80,000

Ornen Co.

181

260

52

493

28,000

92,000

Southern Co.

150

182

279

611

18,000

72,000

Salvesen & Co.

162

258

167

585

19,000

76,000

Totals

1,501

2,572

1,086

6

5,165

208,050 832,200

The above information has been obtained from the declarations furnished by the masters of the various floating factories.

£4 is taken as the average value of a barrel of oil.

Stanley.

W. A. THOMPSON,

Treasurer and Collector.

20844

13

No. 8.

FALKLAND ISLANDS.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 8th June, 1914.)

THE Governor of the Falkland Islands presents his compliments to the Secre- tary of State for the Colonies, and begs to transmit herewith a copy of some notes on whaling by Mr. A. G. Bennett, Customs Officer, who was stationed at Deception Island, South Shetland, during the 1913-14 whaling season, as it is possible that the members of the Inter-Departmental Committee might like to see it. Government House, Stanley,

Falkland Islands,

8th May, 1914.

Enclosure in No. 8. Whaling.

THE following notes are compiled from information obtained in conversation with the gunners of various boats.

It is probable that there are two classes of whale, the one resident and the other migratory, the former being much the fatter of the two from an oil point of view.

When the whaling first started at South Shetlands and South Georgia, large numbers of hump-backed whales were caught very easily and at no distance. These are stated to be much larger than those of the same species now caught in these In furtherance of this resident places and the numbers are very much less now.

on the African coast variety theory it is stated that only humpbacks are caught close to shore, and when these were caught no others took their places. southern part of Chile humpbacks and right whale abounded at the start. These, too, have gone, while others have not taken their places, and some factories are consequently shut up.

In the

The principal fishing is now for blue and fin whale in the south, and most of these appear to be migrants, for the gunners and managers can say almost to a day in the South Shetlands when certain whales, such as small or large blue or fin, will be caught.

Of the blue whales there are several different types, some extremely large and very fat, others quite small, and each type are caught more or less separately and at different periods of the season.

The same may be said of the fin whale, the types varying in respect of the stomach colours-there is often a brown tinge. One is led to conclude that to the westward there is open water a very long way south and that, as the wind is almost always west and south-west round the southern ice, the whale food-principally crustacea and a jelly-like mass living near the surface and higher at night-is drifted round this southern continent, and in due course it must strike Graham's Land and the islands round the shore. Some enters the Straits, where there is always calm water, and it here receives a north-east direction, together with both wind and current passing both South Orkneys and South Georgia.

The whales follow the food, and as there is perhaps no whale to be seen to-day These pass on and are a fresh migration may bring a large number to-morrow. followed in shorter or longer periods by other flocks, finally finishing the South Shetlands season by the arrival of right whale late in March.

The larger number of all species of whale caught are female, and almost without exception are pregnant. I have carefully watched the blue whale on this point, and of all the embryos seen they advanced in size from about 4 feet in November to 16 The smallest feet early February, with only two exceptions in the retrograde. embryo seen to date was about two feet long-a fin whale—and was perfectly formed, as, indeed, were all.

I should doubt very much if these whales ever calve in so cold water. Very few females-about three-had the milk glands at all developed, and this was prob- ably due to the amount of air pumped into the whale to float it. On the other hand, fin and blue whales are stated to be rarely seen and caught off the African coast (at a distance) with the calf.

I hold it possible that these migratory whales work round the Antarctic circle, going north in the winter for both food and breeding, and returning each year to the same spots in a similar manner to birds, etc.