364 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



Boardings. The whole force of the American Revenue Service, consisting of 5 or 

 6 vessels, was congregated in Bering Sea, and from the evidence given and the entries 

 made in the official logs, they were continuously on the patrol outside the 60-mile 

 zone, as you will see by the inclosed statement, they having made 106 boardings 

 from the 3d of August to the 20th of September. 



The records of the boardings show that several of the vessels were boarded from 

 3 to 5 times, and nearly all were boarded more than once, and no exemption was 

 made to those vessels which had cleared from Victoria with only spears, as it was 

 understood that in searching the vessel and overhauling the skins the main conten- 

 tion was whether the skins had been shot. 



This our sealers, who had only spears and no firearms, considered a great hard- 

 ship that their skins should be so often overhauled and the skins and salt scattered 

 over their provisions and coal, leaving them all over the hold without in one case 

 offering to repack them, thereby causing danger to their preservation. 



It was likewise reported that these frequent boardings took place when storm was 

 threatening and danger was apprehended to the canoes and boats, sometimes at a 

 distance of 5 to 10 miles away, pursuing seals. 



It appears to me, however, from the excellent condition all the skins were in when 

 lauded here, that no damage had come to the skins from the boardings, and it may 

 possibly be that the frequent saltings may have added to their preservation. 



Apart from the interruption to the voyage while being boarded, and the incon- 

 venience and trouble in repacking the skins, no other damage was sustained, so far 

 as I could learn. 



Seizures. During the past year there have been three seizures, which were all 

 duly reported to you. 



1 I) The schooner Shelby, which was seized by the United States ship Convin for hav- 

 ing seals and unsealed sealing implements on board in prohibited waters. This vessel 

 was seized in latitude 32 59' north, longitude 134 10' west, while on her homeward 

 voyage from the sealing ground, having proceeded about 200 miles and reached as far 

 south as Queen Charlotte Island, British Columbia, when she was arrested and ordered 

 to proceed to Sitka, with a prize crew OD board, and fioni that place she was 

 directed to proceed to Victoria and report to me. On the return of the vessel to 

 this port, where she has lain in the harbor awaiting the action of the vice-admiralty 

 court, which sat here in November, and the vessel being adjudged guilty, was 

 ordered to pay a fine of 100 and all costs. 



(2) The Beatrice, which was seized in Bering Sea on the 20th of August for viola- 

 tion of the fifth article of the regulations of the Paris award (as get forth in the 

 Bering Sea award act of 1894) that is, that she had not entered up her log book from 

 the 12th to the 20th of August. This vessel was tried and acquitted; the judgment 

 carried all costs. This vessel has since been restored to her owners. 



(3) The E. B. Marvin, which was seized in Bering Sea by the United States revenue 

 cutter Rush for violation of article 6 of the regulations of the Paris award (Bering 

 Sea award act, 1894) that is, that she had used firearms in killing seals. This schooner 

 had on board at the time of seizure 386 skins, one of which was selected which 

 appeared to have a hole resembling a shot hole, and which was the grounds on which 

 this schooner was seized and sent back to Victoria for trial. This vessel was tried 

 and the seizure discharged without costs. 



While the case of the Marvin was in court I was very kindly requested by the 

 defendant to view the skin which was the cause of seizure, the defendant having 

 obtained permission to view the same, which was then in possession of the court, 

 and it was only from curiosity, and not that I was required to give any evidence, 

 that I, with a few others, viewed the skin, and I came to the conclusion, seeing 

 that it was a very difficult matter for the experts to determine precisely where the 

 shot hole was, that the charge against the vessel was a very uncertain one. 



The owners of the schooners Beatrice and E. B. Marvin have suffered severe loss by 

 the seizure and interruption of the season's voyage. The actual loss of the E. B. 

 Marvin alone, presuming that she would have taken about the same number of skins 

 as other vessels of similar size and equipment, will be not less than $10,000. 



Disasters. There were only three serious disasters to the sealing fleet during the 

 past year, viz, the schooners Kosie Olsen, Brenda, and Walter A. Earle. 



The Eosie Olsen was wrecked on the 18th of June while entering the port of Hako- 

 date for water, and became a total loss. The crew and seal skins were all saved. 



The Brenda was wrecked on the 1st of July last. When going into the Little 

 Kurile Straits for water she struck on a rock and became a total loss. The schooner 

 Geneva hove in sight and rescued the crew, skins, and some portions of the rigging. 



The Walter A. Earle was capsized on the 14th of April in latitude 58 north and 

 longitude 139 west. This vessel had a crew of 28 persons, and was sealing on the 

 British Columbia coast when the storm overtook her. All hands were lost. She 

 was subsequently found bottom up in the neighborhood of Cape Tonki, and was 

 towed into Kodiak and 15 bodies were found in the ship's hold. 



