FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 245 



to westward among Aleutian chain and back towards Oonalaska, and 

 5IS I approached Oonalaska I fell in with the schooner San Diego. He 

 had, 1 think, several hundred seal skiu« on board. I have lorgotteu the 

 exact nniuber. He confessed he was sealin.ij;-, but the seals he had there 

 had been taken in the Pacific. Bnt the oliicer sent on board being 

 rather sharp, saw fourteen skins with iresh blood upon them ; so I seized 

 her and took her in. 1 turned her over to the deputy marshal of Oona- 

 laska and proceeded cruising. The captain of that vessel made a 

 great complaint that the Government was very strict in the Bering Sea 

 as far as American vessels were concerned, but did not attempt to touch 

 English vessels. 



Q. Did you have any orders to make any distinction between En- 

 glish and American vessels ? — A. None whatever. 



Q. You had no orders to treat them differently ?— A. No, sir; Iliad 

 simply the law, with orders to seize any one violating those laws. 

 Sometime after that, GO miles southeast of St. George, we ran right 

 upon a nest of sealers. 



Mr. Macdonald. What did you say you did with those men whom 

 you captured? — A. I turned them over to the marshal at Oonalaska 

 and proceeded towards the islands again. Hearing of nothing in 

 that vicinity I struck in towards the main-land, towards the Oonimak 

 Pass CO miles. After leaving St. George I met a boat which was plainly 

 sealing. She had two sitters and a rower. I ranged up and asked 

 what they were doing. Meantime I sighted a vessel some miles away; 

 so I took up the boat and went after the vessel. An hour or so after 

 that I saw another vessel. I captured those two vessels. One was 

 called the Thornton and the other the Carolina. 



The Chairman. These were British vessels ? — A. Yes, sir ; and they 

 were taken in the act. Of course they knew what I would do. I took 

 them and started on. During the night that tollowed I saw another 

 vessel. 1 think it was the Challenge. We passed her, and as it was 

 blowing very fresh and the water was rough she quickly passed out 

 of sight. Encumbered as I was I could not take her. The officer on 

 watch sighted her and called my attention to her, but by that time we 

 had got by. In the early morning we fell in with another schooner, 

 the Omvard. I sent an officer on board ; he said he was sealing, but 

 not taking any seals in the Bering Sea; but unfortunately there were 

 fourteen or fifteen dead ones on the forward deck that they had not had 

 time to skin. So I took her into cam[) also. Thus I had three. Then the 

 day was pretty fine and 1 was getting towards Oonalaska. I had taken 

 alf the arms and ammunition out of them and put an officer and a 

 couple of men on each capture. I think I sighted four more. I ran 

 right through a covey, but they all spread their sails and passed out of 

 sight and I saw no more of them. 1 could not abandon the others and 

 stop for these. I went to Oonalaska with these prizes and disposed of 

 them; and that wound up my cruise, as I had about seventy prisoners 

 and only forty men to take care of them. 1 then proceeded towards 

 Sitka and brought my cases up before the court there, convicted the 

 prisoners, condemned the vessels, and came home. 



Q. Did you form any estimate as to the number of seals destroyed by 

 these ilepredators, by the unlawful hunters during that- season ? — A. 

 Well, I made an estimate of my own, a rough one, perhaps, of what 

 damage they had done. J should judge that there were thirteen or four- 

 teen vessels and I heard of five or six others who reported at Victoria 

 afterwards what they had done or taken in the Bering Sea. The Depart- 

 ment, I know, sent me a list of thirty who were prepared to go up, and 



