86 CASE OF GREAT BEITAIN. 



All the penalties prescribed by law against the killing of fur-bearing 

 animals would therefore attack against any violation of law within 

 the limits before described. 



(Signed) H. F. French, 



Acting Secretary. 



NO SEIZURES MADE BEFORE 1886. 



It does not appear fioiii any official documents tliat any 

 action Avas taken at the time in accordance with the opin- 

 ion expressed in this letter, and no seizures were made, and 

 no warning was given to any r>ritis]i vessel engaged in 

 sealing beyond the ordinary territorial limits prior to 1886, 

 although at least one British vessel is known to have been 

 5othCong.,2iirt engaged in such sealing in 1884, and no less than thirteen 

 Do'e ■'lo'^fui^'')' ^ *^^'® ^^ engaged in 1885. Two of these vessels are stated 

 134.' ' ' ^'' to have been spoken by a United States revenue cutter, 

 Avithout being in any way molested. 

 H. R., Mis. On the 2L*nd May, 1884, Lieutenant I. E. Lutz was 

 Stse8s.%\)"602! instructed by the Captain of the United States revenue 

 p- 2s. steamer ''Corwin" to watch and to seize or arrest any ves- 



sel or ])ersons attempting to take seals contrary to law. 

 Ibid., p. 33. Acting under these instructions. Lieutenant Lutz 



arrested the "Adele," of Hamburg, Gustave Isaacson, 

 master, with three oftlcers and a crew of eighteen Japanese, 

 when at anchor off shore. The Lieutenant Avas careful to 

 ascertain that the vessel was engaged in sealing ashore, 

 and having waited the return of the ship's boat which came 

 back loaded with seal carcasses. Lieutenant Lutz reported, 

 that, haviiuj now secured all necessary evidence, he notitied 

 the captain of the seizure of the vessel. 



It is found that from 1867 down to and including 1885, 

 vessels continued to visit and hunt in Behring Sea with- 

 out interference when outside of the ordinary territorial 

 jurisdiction. 



The circumstances which apjjear to have led to a change 

 of ofticial policy in 1886 will be related hereafter. 



It may be convenient at this point to refer to (juestions 

 which were raised by occurrence in the Asiatic waters of 

 the Pacific, adjacent to Russian territory. 



113 QUESTIONS ARISING- BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES 

 AND Rl'SSIA IN OKHOTSK AND BEHRING SEAS. 



Disputes have more than once arisen res])ecting the rights 

 of United States v, haling vessels in Okhotsk Sea. 



WHALERS IX OKHOTSK SEA. 



Fishery Indus- The main objcctiou to these wlialers was that they iuter- 

 United " staVt's', fcrcd witli the fur industry, and it is on lecord that the 

 section 5, vol. iijnode of wlialiug practiced in this sea was often to anchor 

 from "'Fik^ii'iiu- the vcsscl iu souic harbour and to send the boats there- 

 ^i*?'^' t;^''!''^"'^^-''' from in pursuit of Avhales. The instructions to Ilussian 



vol. ),JNo. 5. . '^ ^ . , i-i-Ti 



cruizers, dating irom 1853, only ])r()liibitcd these vessels 

 from coining " within 3 Italian miles of onr shores."' The 

 Sea of ( )kh()tsk was covered by the Ukase of 1821 , and i>os- 

 sesses a seal rookery (Ivobben Island). Whalers from the 

 United States and elsewhere began to freijuent this sea 

 about the year 1843. 



