RAIDS ON EOBBEN ISLAND. 77 



the poachers have estimated it to be from 12,000 to 20,000 seals, hut it is pretty safe 

 to say that there were not nearly so many seals at that time on the island, all told. 

 The number mentioned by another of the poaching captains (Fur Seal Arb. viii, 

 p. 664), viz, 3,500, is undoubtedly much nearer the mark. Captain Snow, in his mem- 

 orandum, says 2,000,1 



Notwithstanding all this, enough seals hauled up on Eobben Island in 1884 to 

 justify the lessees in coutinuing the regular killing that season. They were particularly 

 encouraged to do so, since the Government had stationed a man of-wav, the Eazboinik, 

 to guard the rookery. Four seizures were made, among them the German schooner 

 Helena, Captain Golder, which had " raided that island five years." Others escaped, 

 like the Felix, which got 500 skins (Fur Seal Arb,. m, p. 358) and the Ruse, which 

 secured 1 ,700, according to Snow. The killing of other classes of seals by the company 

 on shore, however, was brought to a stop by Col. Nicolai Voloshinof (since deceased), 

 who visited the island that year on a tour of inspection. 



The Government, seeing that energetic means had to be taken if the seals were to 

 be protected at all on Eobben Island, in 1885 stationed a regular naval force of 16 

 sailors of the Siberian flotilla and 1 officer ^ on the island, which was removed, however, 

 before the middle of October. The company that year obtained less than 2,000 skins, 

 but the schooners, late in autumn, made additional hauls; thus the Penelope, Capt. 

 E. P. Miner, on her part alone got " about 800 skins " (Fur Seal Arb., viii, p. 702), 

 and, according to Snow, the Otsego got 850, the Felix 500, and the Base, Penelope, and 

 Diana each 600; together 3,150 skins. Captain Blair, of the Leon, estimated the 

 number of seals on the island that year to be about 6,000. 



For four years — 1886 to 1889, inclusive — the company refrained from taking any 

 skins on the island ; but there were still some left for the raiders, who appear to have 

 visited the rock every year. The British Bering Sea Commission states that "these 

 schooners must have obtained at least 4,700 skins" (liep., p. 89), but, according to 

 Snow, the Arctic is said to have obtained 3,200, the Rose 800, and the Ada 2,000 skins 

 in 1886, while in 1888 the Arctic again took 1,500 and the Rose 1,440. Thus, during 

 these two years alone at least 9,000 seals were killed. From the same source I learn 

 that in 1890 the Wautilus got 1,651, and Benton 3,200. In 1890, the last year of the 

 lease of Hutchinson, Kohl, Philippeus & Co., 1,456 skins were secured by them. 



With the lease of the islands by the Eussian Seal Skin Company the regular 

 killing was again resumed in 1891, but the poor result led to the abandonment of the 

 attempt in 1892. In 1893 the rookery had recovered sufficiently to yield the company 

 1,500 skins; 1,000 were taken in 1894, and 1,300 in 1895. 



In all these years the raiders continued to prey upon the island in the autumn 

 with but scant danger of being captured. In October, 1891, however, Captain 

 Brandt, commanding the Aleut, upon returning to the island unexpectedly, captured 

 two schooners, the Arctic and the Mystery, both fitted out in Yokohama but flying the 



1 In a note appended to a certain memorandum often alluded to, it is stated that the company's 

 "vessel was arrested and taken to Vladivostok the next season" (1884) for the killing of females and 

 the destruction of their skins in 1883. This statement rests on misinformation. It was on account of 

 incidents in 1885 (not 1883) that Colonel Voloshinof sent the Leon to Vladivostok that year (not 1884), 

 where she was at once released by the governor. 



2 This force was afterwards increased to 2 officers and 20 to 22 men until 1896, when it was again 

 reduced to 1 officer and 15 men. 



