DECLARATION OF SEIZURE OF MOUNTAIN CHIEF. 419 



agreed to leave the question to arbitration, but had agreed on the 

 details of the arbitration, and he was convinced that all right-thinking 

 public men, both in America and this country, were delighted to find 

 that this serious bone of contention was to be put out of sight in such 

 a happy and peaceful manner. 



DECLARATION OF SEIZURE OF THE BRITISH SCHOONER MOUN- 

 TAIN CHIEF. 



By Thomas Nelson, Commander, U. S. Navy. 



I, Thomas Nelson, commander, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. 

 Adams, 3rd rate, do hereby declare that, on the twenty-ninth day of 

 July, eighteen hundred and ninety-two, in latitude 54-57-09 1ST., longi- 

 tude 170-18-30 W., I seized and took possession of the schooner named 

 Mountain Chief, of Victoria, B. C, whereof Julius Mohrhouse is master, 

 and James Newasscunis, the registering managing owner, with all her 

 crew, equipment, stores, and every article of whatsoever nature on 

 board of her; the said schooner and her crew being then and there 

 employed in taking seals in Bering Sea. 



On the arrival of the boarding officer, Lieutenant D W. Coffman, TJ. 

 S- N., on board the schooner, he found seven seals on her deck, which 

 had not yet been skinned, and six of which were females, a number of 

 skins in the schooner's hold, and implements for taking seals, includ- 

 ing two Indian boats or canoes; and further, that at the time of board- 

 ing the said schooner Mountain Chief one of her boats, with two Indians, 

 was out and did not return to the schooner until after the seizure had 

 been decided. 



(Signed) Thos. Nelson, 



Commander, TJ. 8. Navy, Commanding TJ. S. S. Adams. 



True copy from the records of the Bureau of Navigation, Navy De- 

 partment, Dec. 27, 1892. 



F. M. Bamsay, 

 Chief of Bureau. 



