188 DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE. 



Mr. Iluhhard to Mr. Bayard. 



United States Lec^ation, 

 Tolcio, Japan, July 13, 1888. (deceived Au<;ust 8.) 



Sir: I have fbe lionor to inclose lierewitb a copy of a note from th€ 

 J'l pane.se minister for forei^in affairs dated July 7, in whicli I am re- 

 quested to instruct the United States consuls in Japan not to ship Japan- 

 ese subjects on board American vessels engaged or about to engage in 

 otter or seal hunting. 



The reasons for such a request are set forth in the minister's note. 



In compliance with Count Okuma's request, I have instructed the 

 United States consul-general at Kanagawa, and through him the other 

 consular representatives of the United States in Japan, to refrain from 

 shipping any Japanese subjects on any American otter or seal hunting 

 vessels. 



I have the honor to inclose a copy of my communication to the United 

 States consul-general on the subject, and hope that my action in the 

 premises will meet the ap])roval of the Department of State. 



In order that the Department may more fully understand the imme- 

 diate causes which have led the Japanese Government to take the 

 course indicated in regard to the shipment of Japanese subjects on otter 

 and seal hunting vessels, I beg to submit a brief account of the attack 

 on the British schooner Nemo, to which Count Okuma refers : 



The Nemo is a schooner of 150 tons, owned and commanded by one 

 Snow, a British resident of Yokohama, and was manned by Japanese 

 sailors. The schooner is what is known as an " otter and seal hunter." 



On the 27th of May last, while the schooner was en route to the 

 hunting grounds, it was, according to the commander's statement, be- 

 calmed off Copper Island (Russian territory). Early on the morning 

 of May 27, while the schooner was still becalmed, the commander put off 

 iu a boat with a crew of 6 Japanese sailors, accompanied or followed 

 l^y two otlier boats of Japanese sailors. The commander of the Nemo 

 was tlie only foreigner in the boats. When about 200 yards from shore, 

 and after the commander of the Nemo had discharged his rifle at one 

 or more otters, his boat was fired upon by an unknown number of men 

 concealed behind the rocks or a bluff of the shore, and using, as the 

 commander of the Nemo supposes, Winchester rifles. 



The firing was kept up with great rapidity, and all of the men in the 

 boat, including the commander, being wounded, it was witli great difS- 

 culty that the boat was gotten out of reach of the firing, the commander 

 and one sailor being the only occupants of the boat who were able to 

 propel it, and being both wounded, the craft moved very slowly. 



When the commander's boat gotoutof range of the firing (the second 

 ])oat luid one man wounded, but the third had not approached within 

 range of the firing), it was ascertained that one of the Japanese had 

 l)een killed outriglit, and two others afterwards died on the Nemo from 

 the wounds then received. 



The conunander was wounded in the hand and in the thigh, but he 

 and the other Japanese who were wounded have, I understand, about 

 recovered. 



The schooner was brought to Yokohama-, where an inquiry into the 

 afiair was held by the British consul, who found that the attaek was 

 unprovoked. 



I have, etc., 



ElCHARD B. HqBBAKD. 



