34 CRUISE OF THE STEAMER CORWIN. 



her people being then engaged probiibly in skinning the seals taken from the beach. As soon as 

 I stood oft' in her direction she got under way for the northward. Then she stood off and on, 

 making signals by dii)ping the i)eak of her mainsail, from which, as well as from a chance remark 

 made by one of the officers of the Adele, I inferred that these vessels had been acting in concert. 

 Finally she hove to when nine or ten miles off-shore and waited for me. It was dusk when I drew 

 near her and her people could not distinguish the revenue flag until I was within one hundred 

 yards of her. I then observed that the vessel's name had been painted out. She immediately 

 tilled away and made all sail. My hail was answered by her people, who refused to give the 

 schooner's name, and no attention was paid to the order to heave-to until boarded. I caused two 

 shots to be fired across her bow and two into the upper part of her rigging, hailing her i)eoplo after 

 every shot and repeating the order for them to heave-to. Muttered imprecations were the only 

 reply until after the fourth shot, when they fired into us. I then directed my men to aim lower, 

 so as to rake the decks of the other vessel. I stoi)ped the fire at intervals to see if she would 

 heave-to. She fired five or six shots into us, which we returned with fifty or sixty rounds. We 

 suffered no damage, and they ])robably received little or no injury, as they were all under cover. 

 Darkness had set in, the wind freshened, and I finally abandoned the chase. I saw no hope of 

 being able to take the vessel with my small force, or at least of doing it without endangering the 

 one already captured. 



I reached the village on the following morning, September 2, and made preparations for the 

 voyage to San Francisco. A small supjdy of stores was needed, as the vessel was poorly supplied, 

 and many of such articles as were on board had been rendered worthless by dampness. I pro- 

 cured such things as were absolutely necessary, and I respectfully request that bills for the same, 

 when submitted by the Alaska Commercial Company, be approved by you and forwarded to the 

 Department, with an application to have them allowed and ordered to be paid. 



Having found that in order to work the vessel safely more men would be required, I persuaded 

 four more of the Japanese to come on board and turn to, representing that such a course was the 

 only one by which they could hope to get their pay. They had all shipped for a voyage of seven 

 mouths from April 7, at from seven to thirteen dollars per mouth, receiving two months' wages in 

 advance. As soon as the last-named four members of the crew arrived on board the whole com- 

 pany held a consultation, and then gave me to understand that as the vessel was short-handed 

 they would not go with her unless they were promised higher wages. As I could not guaranty 

 that, I told them they could go ashore and forfeit all claim for wages already earned. It seemed 

 likely that I should be obliged to commence the voyage without a crew. At last they agreed to 

 remain on board, and they have served faithfully and well. 



Three vessels were reported in sight that day, bnt as the authorities had now been given 

 sufficient time for equipping and sending out armed parties to i)rotect different portions of the 

 island, I considered it uunecessarj- for me to remain. 



At midnight I got under way and proceeded towards Ounalaska. The rudder was loose in 

 the pintles, and was not therefore in a safe condition, for which reason I desired to put into the 

 nearest harbor to effect the necessary repairs. I was prevented from doing so, however, by con- 

 tinued thick weather and alternate gales and calms. It was impossible for me to find the way into 

 the harbor unless able to see the land, as 1 had no reliable chart and no record of the error or rate 

 of the chronometer. After a delay of five or six days I gave up the attempt, worked to the east- 

 ward, cleared Ounimak Pass September 12, and thence had a prosperous passage to this port, 

 arriving at 2 p. m. September 28. 



Upon reaching here I transmitted a telegram to the Department, reporting the seizure of the 

 vessel and arrival here. On the 29th I received the following rej)ly : 



" Washington, D. C, September 29, 1884. 

 " Lieut. John E. Lutz, U. S. R. M., 



" Care Cnstom- House, 8. F., Cal. : 

 "Turn over schooner Adele to United States marshal. Consult United States district attor- 

 ney, San Francisco. 



"W. Q. Gresham, 



" Secretary." 

 1 



