190 KEPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 



three separate landings had been made, and found two chibs, seven 

 dead tVniale seals and one bull wounded with buckshot. In the autumn 

 the " Allie Algar" raided on St. George, and i)rocured more than 800 

 skins. A report in the "New York Herald" states tliat certain mem- 

 bers of a schooner's crew boasted that in this year fifteen men had in 

 five hours of one night killed 1,000 seals on St. George. Practical 

 sealers, giving evidence under oath, testified that to their certain knowl- 

 edge in the year 1889 and 1890 raids were made on the islands by the 

 "George E. White," .the "Daniel Webster," the "Mollie Adams," and 

 the " Adele." 



750. In 1800, off the North-east rookery, St. Paul Island, on the 15th 

 and 16th June, there were two schooners hovering, with boats out. 

 Prom the 1st to the 4th July the whaling barque "Lydia" was cruizing 

 along close in shore. Mr. Tingle, the Company's agent, saw a 

 129 boat in a fog sealing within 200 yards of the beach ; he fired at it 

 with his rifie; an unseen vessel at once began to blow her fog- 

 horn, the understood signal of recall to all boats out. 



On the 28th August a schooner anchored close to North-east Point. 

 Next day the revenue-cruizer "Rush" boarded her. She i)roved to be 

 the " Kate Anna," but had no skins on board. Por the next eight days 

 a schooner was reported off the same rookery, anchoring close in, lower- 

 ing her boats, and continually shooting seals within half a mile of the 

 shore. Nothing appears to have been done to stop her, although 

 Colonel Murray afterwards reported that there were any number of dead 

 pups found at a later date along the beach. In August the schooner 

 "Adele" was boarded and captured, all her crew being ashore raiding. 

 She was brought into the bay. 



The schooner "C. 1>. Eand" was taken by the cruizer "Rush," in 

 North-east Bay. Her Scotch captain, declaring himself to be a mem- 

 ber of the Salvation Army, protested he was not and could not be seal- 

 ing, because it was Sunday, The only evidence given by the watch- 

 men on shore was that they "had seen a boat." The schooner was 

 released. 



In September 1890 a large white schooner sailed into North-east 

 rookery to land a party. The Aleut watchmen fired four shots from 

 Martini Henry's across her bow. She returned about 100 shots and 

 sailed away. 



757. In the same year, on St. George Island, numerous raids or at- 

 tempts were reported. Pour distinct attempts were made at Zapadnie 

 rookery. The "Helen Blum" and "Unga" failed to secure any seals. 

 The " Flying Dutchman " ["Adele"] secured many skins, and it is actu- 

 ally reported that she would have made a great haul but that her crew 

 at the critical moment obtained access to liquor. One schooner Avas 

 surprised in the act, and departed leaving 190 females killed on the 

 beach, the skins of which were taken and salted by Mr. Webster, ofi 

 behalf of the Company, as we were informed by Captain Lavender. 

 On the 17th Sei)tember no less than three schooners were in the ofQng, 

 and one attempted a landing, but retired Avheu fired at by the watch- 

 men. In the same year, it was also reported that one of the district 

 salt-houses had been broken open by the crew of a vessel, and all the 

 salted skins carried off. 



758. Colonel Murray, the cautious Treasury Agent on St. George, 

 informed us that he had examined the traces remaining of many raids 

 that had taken x)lace, unknown to the authorities. On one occasion he 

 had seen the fresh blood-stained tracks down which the carcasses had 

 been hauled to the boats; on another, he and his companion, on a 



