196 CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



2. On the 11th day of July last, whilst on board the said schooner, 

 she then being- on a sealing ex])edition, and in latitude 50° liU' north, 

 and longitude 170° 25' west, and at a distance of about 35 miles from 

 shore, we were overhauled by the " Eichard liusb," the United States 

 revenue cutter, which latter vessel having hailed us, and shouted a com- 

 mand we were unable to understand, steamed across our steamer's 

 bows, compelling us to come-to. A boat was tiien lowered from the 

 cutter, and Lieutenant Tuttle, with five other men came aboai-d the 

 schooner. The captain of our schooner asked Lieutenant Tuttle what 

 he wanted, and he replied he Avished to see our ])ai)ers. The captain 

 then took him down into his cabin, and in my presence showed him 



the ship's papers, 

 50 Lieutenant Tuttle then demanded that they should be handed 



to him, but our captain refused to give them up, aid locked theni 

 in his locker. Lieutenant Tattle then ordered his men to bring up the 

 seal-skins. At this time there were seventy-six salted and tifty-tive 

 unsalted seal skins on board. The Lieutenant then ordered the salted 

 skins to be taken on board the "Kichaid liusli." This was done by the 

 cutter's boat, two bags of salt and a rilie being also taken from the 

 schooner to the cutter. 



Lieutenant Tuttle told our captain that if he did not give up the 

 papers he should take them by force, and cair captain still refusing, the 

 Lieutenant hailed the cutter, and a boat brougiit oft' the Ma-ster-at- 

 Arms, who came on board our schooner. Lieutenant Tuttle asked our 

 captain for his keys, but not being able to obtain them, ordered the 

 Master-at-Armstoforcethe hxdver. The Master-at- Arms then unscrewed 

 the hinges of the locker, and taking out the pai)ers, handed the same 

 to Lieutenant Tuttle. Lieutenant Tuttle then went back to the " Eich- 

 ard Eush," but returned again, bringing with him one whose name I 

 have since heard to be John Hawkinsen. 



The Lieutenant then ordered certain liulian sealing spears belonging 

 to the schooner to the number of twenty to be placed in his boat, which 

 Mas a(;cordingly done by the cutter's men. Our captain asked him for 

 a receipt for the skins, shii)'s pai)ers, and other goods he had taken; 

 this he refused to give. He then ordered our ca])tain to take the 

 schooner to Sitka, but our captain told him that if he wanted the 

 schooner to go there he would have to put a crew on board to take her 

 there. 



Lieutenant Tuttle then gave Hawkinsen some orders and some papers 

 addressed to the United States authorities at Sitka, and leaving Haw- 

 kinsen on board the schooner, and titking the spears with him, returned 

 to the cutter, which shortly afterwards steamed away, taking- the ship's 

 papers, the skins, and otiier goods with her. 



We set sail for Ounalaska, where the captain lioped to fall in with a 

 British man-of war, and arrived at tluit place on tlie 15th day of July. 

 Theie being no man-of-war there, and the Indians having become very 

 mutinous, and threatening to throw us overboard if they thought we 

 were going to Sitka, we set sail for the port of Victoria, reaching the 

 latter ])lace on the 3rd day of August, 1889, at about the hour of 7 P. M. 

 The man Hawkinsen, during the voyage, did not attempt to give any 

 directions or suggestions as to the course to be taken by the schooner, 

 and on arrival at Victoria was placed on shore by one of the schooner's 

 boats. 



And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the same to b«i 

 true, and by virtue of "The Oaths Ordinance, 1889." 



(Signed) Alexander Gault. 



