TESTIMONY RELATING TO SEIZURES IN BERING SEA. 



Deposition of Charles A. Abbey j captain, U. S. B. M. 



pelagic sealing. 

 District of Columbia, 



City of Washington, ss: 



Cliarles A. Abbey, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am 51 

 years of age, and am captain in tlie Eevenne Marine 

 of the United States, and have been in the service for ^ xp^ i^'^nce. 

 nearly twenty-eight years. From June, 1886, until the latter part of 

 August, 1886, I was in charge of the revenue steamer ^, . 

 Corunn, cruising m Bering Sea for the purpose of pro- 

 tecting seal life, the fur-seal industry, and the Government interests in 

 Alaska generally. On June 10, 1886, I left the Columbia liiver, pro- 

 ceeding to Unalaska, and thence on the 27th day of June into Bering 

 Sea, my destination being the Pribilof, or Seal, Islands. Soon after 

 leaving Unalaska we began to see seals in the water about the steamer. 

 Within seven hours after leaving Unalaska I sighted 

 the schooner Sierra, of and from San Francisco, with ^^^"" 

 her boats out sealing, in latitude 54° 20' north, longitude 166° 35' west. 

 Before I could overhaul her her boats were called in and all evidences 

 of sealing were out of sight. There were seal skins in her hold, but as 

 there was no evidence that any had been taken in Bering Sea, I dis- 

 armed her, she being without a permit for use of arms and ammuni- 

 tion, and let her go. The next morning sighted the 

 schooner City of San Diego, of San Francisco, in lati- igg^'' ""^ ^""^ ^'^"^ 

 tilde 55° 52' north, longitude 168° 25' west. As she 

 also had no permit for arms and ammunition, I di-sarmed her. 



I then called at the Pribilof Islands and cruised about them for 

 some days without seeing any vessels of any kind. On the 3d day of 

 July cruised northward, returning to St. Paul on the 10th ; it was very 

 difficult to find the island because of the dense fog. On tlie 13th went 

 south and west. Eeached Atka Island on the 15th 5 thence went 

 easterly along the Aleutian Islands. On the ITtli seized 

 the schooner San Diego, of and from San Francisco, in jgg" ^''<^'' ^'''^'''^' ' 

 latitude 54° 4' north and longitude 166^ 46' west. She 

 had 577 seal skins on board, and the captain confessed to having taken 

 seals in Bering Sea. I took her into Unalaska that night. 



On the 26th of July I was again off St. Paul Island, and the agent of 

 the Alaska Commercial Company came on board and 

 informed me the sealing season on the island was ended, Jeaiing season, close 

 and the day before the agent at St. George Island had 

 informed me of the same fact in relation to that island. On August 1st 

 I seized a boat containin g three men and eight dead seals. Proceeding 

 southeasterly, seized another boat with men and several j^j.oymon seized isse 

 dead seals on board. Seized the schooner Thornton, of ' 



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