102 APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
crew of seven men and sixtcen Indian hunters with eight canocs. We commenced 
sealing off Cape Scott, on the north of Vancouver Island, and killed 479 fur-seals in 
the Pacific Ocean. and entered the Behring’s Sea on the 2nd July, 1887, passing 
between Umnack Island and the Island of the Four Mountains. The weather was 
very thick and foggy, and we did no sealing in Behring’s Sea in consequence. 
On the 9th July we were captured by the United States steamer ‘‘ Richard Rush,” 
being then from 30 to 40 miles off the nearest land. 
We were taken in tow to Ounalaska, where we arrived on the 10th July, and they 
laid us alongside the steamer ‘St. Paul,” belonging to the Alaska Commercial 
Company. They removed the seal-skins and took them ashore to the wharf and put 
them in the Company’s warehouse, and they resalted the skins with salt taken from 
our vessel. They put an officer from the ‘‘ Rush” on board and towed us out to sea 
and told us to go to Sitka. We arrived there on the 22nd July, and on the next day 
an investigation was held before Judge Dawson, who bound us over to appear on the 
22nd August for trial. The vessel was left in charge of the United States officers, 
and we were only allowed to remove our clothing. The Indians were left to find 
their way home as they could; they were about 700 miles from their villages. I 
further say that when we were taken I spoke to the Captain of the ‘‘ Rush” and told 
him we had not taken a seal in Behring’s Sea; he replied: ‘‘J am sorry for you; I 
have to obey orders, and take everything I come across in Behring’s Sea.” And I 
make this solemn declaration by virtue of the Act passed in the thirty-seventh year 
of Her Majesty’s reign, entituled, ‘An Act for the Suppression of Voluntary and 
Extra-Judicial Oaths.” 
(Signed) A. LAING. 
Taken and declared before me at Victoria, this 8th day of August, 1887. 
(Signed) M. W. Tyrwiutt Drake, 
Notary Public. 
{Inclosure 4 in No. 52.] 
Extract from the “ Victoria Daily Colonist” of August 6, 1887. 
SEALERS SEIZED.—ANOTHER PIRATICAL ACT BY THE AMERICAN REVENUE CUT- 
TERS.—The “Olympian,” which arrived from Sitka yesterday, brought the startling 
news that another lot of British and American schooners had been captured by the 
Revenue cutter ‘‘ Rush,” and taken to Sitka, and that as the steamer was leaving the 
Revenue cutter again hove in sight, having a number of schooners in tow. Those 
in Sitka are the Victoria schooners ‘‘Dolphin,” ‘‘Anna Beck,” ‘‘Grace,” ‘“W. P. 
Sayward,” and the American schooner “ Challenger,” of Seattle. With the schooners 
seized last year this makes seven British vessels now in charge of the Alaskan author- 
ities, and they will, no doubt, be added to, as it seems the intention of the Americans 
to seize every schooner that they can secure anywhere within the waters of Behring’s 
Sea. 
It was not thought probable that such measures would have been taken in the face 
of information received from Washington and Ottawa; however, a lack of diplomacy 
or of energy seems to have prevailed, and no decisive answer was given to the official 
queries made to the United States authorities in regard to the programme they pur- 
posed following during the present season. 
The following statements of several of the captured sealers is taken from the 
Alaskan” of the 30th July: 
Captain Olsen, of the steam-schooner “‘ Anna Beck,” stated: 
“T left Victoria on the 7th February last, clearing at the Custom-house for 
85 the purpose of asealing and fishing trip to the west coast of Vancouver Island, 
the North Pacific Ocean, and the Behring’s Sea. 
“‘At the time the papers were issued by Mr. A. R. Milne, Collector of Customs, he 
made no observation about my vessel fishing in Behring’s Sea; neither did I say 
any thing to him. I supposed, from the fact that the papers were issued giving me 
such permission, there was no reason why I should not fish in Behring’s Sea, and had 
I anticipated that there would be any trouble I would not have started on a voyage 
for such a purpose. 
“Tt was the common talk amongst the people of Victoria that we were perfectly 
safe in fishing, as the American Government would not make any seizures this season. 
I don’t understand why my vessel was seized, as personally 1 was not engaged in 
catching seals.” I purchase the seals from the Indians for the owners of the schooner, 
and I have no control whatever on the natives after they leave the vessel in their 
owncanoes. I am not responsible if they catch seals after they have left the schooner’s 
side; they can come and go when they please.” 
