596 APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
ernment Lave no desire whatever to refuse to the United States any jurisdiction in 
Behring’s Sea which was conceded by Great Britian to Russia, and which properly 
accrues to the present possessors of Alaska in virtue of Treaties or of the law of 
nations; and that if the United States Government, after examination of the evidence 
and arguments which are produced in that despatch, still differ from them as to the 
legality of the recent captures in that sea, Her Majesty’s Government are ready to 
agree that the question, with the issues that depend on it, should be referred to impar- 
tial arbitration. 
In that case, I am authorized to consider, in concert with you, the method of pro- 
cedure to be followed. 
Lhave, &c. 
(Signed) JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE. 
6 No. 4. 
Admiralty to Foreign Office.—( Received August 30.) 
ADMIRALTY, August 28, 1890. 
Str: Iam commanded by my Lords Commissicners of the Admiralty 
to transmit herewith, for the information of the Secretary of State, 
copy of a letter from the Commander-in-chief on the Pacific Station, 
dated at Esquimalt, the 6th instant, together with copies of its inclo- 
sures, respecting the movements of sealers in Behring’s Sea, &c. 
lam, We. 
(Signed) kt. D. AWDRY. 
{Inclosure 1 in No. 4.—Extract.] 
Rear-Admiral Hotham to Admiralty. 
““WARSPITE,” AT ESQUIMALT, August 6, 1890. 
) , 
The American auxiliary steam-schooner ‘‘ Mischief” and the British schooner 
“Aurora” having just returned from the sealing fleet, I took the opportunity of 
obtaining from them the following information as regards the state of affairs as far 
as they knew: 
It is usual for the seal traders to charter a vessvl to take the coast catch of seal- 
skins from the sealers, and bring them south before the fleet enter the Behring’s Sea. 
This year the schooner ‘‘ Mischief” was chartered by a Syndicate representing 
twenty-five British vessels and four American. The American vessels are: ‘‘ Henry 
Dennis,” ‘San José,” ‘Lily L.,” and ‘‘ Allie Alger.” ‘The ‘‘ Mischief” sails under 
American colours, and left Victoria on the 14th June. She arrived at Sand Point, 
Little Koninski Island, Shumagin group, 4th July, where about thirty vessels were 
awaiting her. 
On the afternoon of the 6th July nineteen vessels under British colours put to 
sea, followed by the ‘‘ Mischief” to about 15 miles from the land, and between 6 P. M. 
of that day and 4 a. M. of the next 9,129 skins were transferred to the ‘‘Mischief.” 
Bad weather coming on, the schooners that had not completed the transfer of skins 
went into North-East Harbour (Little Koninski Island), remained there the 7th and 
8th July, but wanting more shelter went through the 12-fathom channel between 
Shumagin and Simanoff to Sand Cove, in the north-east of Little Koninski Island. - 
On the 10th July they again weighed and went outside 5 miles from the land and 
transferred the remainder of the skins, amounting in all to about 13,000. 
The ‘‘ Mischief” did not fall in with any of the American vessels she was chartered 
for, and the guarantee of 50 dollars which the Syndicate had each to deposit was 
returned to the owners on her arrival at Victoria. 
While taking in the last of the skins the ‘‘ Mischief” sighted the ‘‘ Pathfinder,” 
which schooner reported that she had sighted the American revenue-cutter ‘‘ Rush” 
(Captain Coulson, with Lieutenant Tuttle as boarding officer, the same as last year) 
on the 9th July, heading for Sand Point. 
There being still some more skins to come down, the schooner ‘‘Aurora” was char- 
tered bv Mr. Munsie, of Victoria, and Captain Cox, Secretary of the British Sealers 
