SEIZURES OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH VESSELS BY RUSSIA 



IN 1892. 



[Extract from the Victoria News of August 31, 1891.] 



RUSSIAN PIRACY — SEALERS TAKEN IN THE OPEN SEA — TIIREE VIC- 

 TORIA CRAFT SEIZED AND THEIR CREWS THREATENED WITn 

 SIBERIA — A 'ERISCO VICTIM ALSO. 



Startling story of outrage, insult, and pillage. — The captured crews 

 turned heartlessly adrift. — To secure passage home they sign away 

 everything. — How they arrived at Victoria. 



The Eussian Government is following much the same high-handed 

 policy as that pursued by the United States regarding the sealing 

 matter. The officers of the Czar have perpetrated an outrage in that 

 connection that for wantonness exceeds even the acts of the United 

 States' vessels. 



The Victoria schooners, Bosie Olsen, Ariel, and Willie McGowan and 

 the San Francisco schooner G. H. White, have been seized upon the 

 high seas by the man-of-war Zabiaka. The seizures took place nearly 

 50 miles south of Copper Island and in the open ocean, July 18 and 

 and July 28. 



Notwithstanding the vigorous protests of the respective captains they 

 and their crews were made prisoners and taken to Petropaulovsk, where 

 they were turned loose upon the beach without either food or shelter. 

 Their schooners were confiscated, and threats made that the captains 

 would be sent to the salt mines of Siberia if they made any protests. 



Finally the entire complement of the four vessels were taken off by 

 the American bark Majestic on August 9, and reached Eoyal Eoads 

 yesterday afternoon. 



[ Extract from the Victoria News of September 10, 1892.] 

 MORE RUSSIAN SEIZURES— THE VANCOUVER BELLE GONE, 



Besides other schooners not yet identified. — The lost boats' crews picked 

 up by the Eussian s. 



Four more sealing vessels, including three Canadian and one United 

 States craft, have been seized by theEussians in the vicinity of Copper 

 Island, and several missing boats are supposed to have met with the 



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