APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 87 
John U. Rhodes, being duly sworn, deposes and says: 
Q. State your name, age, and oecupation?—A, John U. Rhodes, Lieutenant United 
States Revenue Marine, at present on duty on the United States Revenue steamer 
“¢ Corwin,” and over the age of 21 years. 
Q. State what nautical instruments, if any, were seized on the schooner ‘‘ Thorn- 
ton” except such as are included in her general inventory ?—A. One chronometer, No. 
1374, made by Kessels, and one octant. 
Q. What has become of this property ?—A. I turned it over to the United States 
Marshal at Sitka, and it is now in his custody. 
(Signed) JOHN U, RHODES. 
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 9th day of September, A. De 1886, after hav- 
ing been read over by me to deponent. 
[SEAL. | ANDREW T. LEWIS, 
Clerk, United States District Court. 
J. H. Douglass, being duly sworn, deposes and says: 
Q. State your name, age, and occupation?—A. J. H. Douglass, am over the age of 
21 years, am a pilot in the Revenue Marine Service of the United States, and 
70 have been so for the seven years last past. Iam now and on the Ist August, 
1886, was pilot on the Revenue steamer ‘‘ Corwin.” 
Q. State what occurred on the last-named day in connection with the schooner 
“Thornton” ?—A. We sighted a boat on our port bow and soon after saw another 
boat, steamed to the first boat and ordered her to come alongside, which she did. 
The name “Steamer Thornton” was on the stern of the boat. There were two or 
three men in the boat with arms, and six or eight dead fur-seal, which had the 
appearance of having been lately killed. LI asked the men what luck they bad had. 
One of them replied, ‘‘ We have six or eight, but not as good as some days.” We 
took possession of the boat and contents by order of Captain Abbey. We then 
picked up the second boat, finding it engaged in the same business, then we sighted 
a schooner drifting without sail or steam, which proved to be the steam-schooner 
“Thornton.” On coming up with her she was seized by order of Captain Abbey 
and taken in tow. Wethen picked up two more boats belonging to the ‘* Thornton,” 
having dead fur-seal on board. ‘This was in Behring’s Sea, about 65 miles south-east 
trom St. George’s Island, and about 500 or 600 miles’ to the eastward of the western 
bonndary- line of Alaska Territory. 
Q. State what experience you have had in the fur-sealing business, and your 
knowledge of the habits of the fur-seal?—A. I have been cruizing for more than 
fifteen years off and on in Alaskan waters, always as an officer or pilot, and have 
visited the Pribiloff Islands, St. Paul and St. George, several hundred times, and 
am perfectly familiar with the sealing business as conducted on those islands, and 
understand the migrating habits of the fur-seals. From about the 1st May to about 
the Ist July of each year the fur-seal is migrating north, and mostly through the 
Unimak and Akutan’ Passes to these islands for breeding purposes. They go to no 
other place in the known world except these islands and Copper Island for breeding 
purposes. 
After the breeding season of about a month they begin to migrate south, and until 
November of each year are migrating south through Behring’ 8s Sea. During this 
season, from May till November, the fur-seal are plenty in the waters adjoining the 
Pribiloff Islands, and are migrating to and from these islands, and are at all times 
very plenty between Unimak “Pass and said islands in a track about 30 miles wide, 
which seems to be their highway to and from said islands. The schooner ‘‘'Thorn- 
ton” and her boats when seized were directly on this track. 
(Signed) J. H. Dora.ass. 
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 8th day of September, a. D. 1886, after 
having been read over by me to deponent. 
[SEAL. ] ANDREW T. LEWIS, 
Clerk, United States District Court. 
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT IN AND FOR THE DISTRICT OF ALASKA, 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
The United States v. The Schooner ‘‘ Thornton.”—No. 50. 
Whereas, on the 6th day of September, 1886, the said District Court duly made 
and entered in the journal of said Court an order in the above-entitled action, direct- 
ing that the testimony and depositions of the witnesses: C. A. Abbey, J. C. Cantwell, 
J. U. Rhodes, and J. H. Douglass be taken before me, the Clerk of said Court, at the 
time or times and place, and upon such notice as was specified in said order. 
