120 
BULLETIN OP THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
The fact was that the natives, incensed by the munerous raids, were using their 
guns freely during 1881. Thus, earlier in the season the Ayinic Cashman, of San Fran- 
cisco, went to Copper Island, and Mr. E. P. Miner states (Fur Seal Arb., viii, p. 701) : 
We lauded there oue clear day, aud in Id hours took 250 seals, aud had them all on hoard before 
the natives came to where we were. We went away then, hut came hack the next night. We were 
fired on hj" the natives, aud did not land. 
It went particularly hard with tlie Biltish schooner Diana, sailing from Yokohama 
earlier in the season. She had been raiding various rookeries on the Kuril Islands 
and linally went to Copper Island, where she came to grief. She anchored off Zapa- 
lata and a boat was immediately sent ashore. They did not reach it, however, for 
behind the rocks a large band of natives, under command of the kossak, Selivanof, 
were lying in wait. When the boat was well within range, the kossak gave the 
signal and a C(tmplete rain of bullets struck the unfortunate boat. One man was 
killed, one severely wounded, aud the boat, nearly sinking, made the schooner with 
the greatest difficulty. It is said that fully 300 shots were tired by the natives. The 
Diana, now severely crippled, sought safety in flight, but on the way to Petro- 
paulski unfortunately fell in with a Eussian man-of-war — the iStrelok, if I remember 
rightly. The suspicion of the commander was aroused, an investigation made, which 
residted in the imprisonment of the crew and the contiscation of the vessel, in S])ite 
of the plea of the captain that no raid was intended and that the boat was sent ashore 
only to take water, of which the schooner was short. 
The case was made the subject of diplomatic correspondence between Great 
Britain and Eussia, and the latter power sent a revisor to Coifper Island in 1882 to 
investigate the matter. His report Avas favorable to the natives, no doubt, for the 
Eussian Government, in recognition of their meritorious conduct, invested the native 
chief of Copper Island with a silver-laced kaftan, while Selivanof Avas promoted to be 
a sergeant and a beautiful Toledo blade Avas presented to him upon which was engraved 
a suitable inscription commemoratiA^e of the occasion. 
It was plain that something would have to be done to check this growing CAdl, 
which had already been assuming alarming proimrtious, but the authorities were 
pirzzled how to proceed effectively. One or two large AAmr A^essels were already patrol- 
ling tlie region, but their serviee AAms very ineffective, as they did not take the risk of 
going close under the foggy and dangerous coasts of the islands. It was thought, 
however, that strict regulations for the whole traffic of trading and hunting in Eussian 
waters, Avhich would leave the schooners no excuses or technical loop holes, would deter 
the marauders, especially in view of the past experience, and seeing that the Eussian 
Government Avas in earnest in backing up the natives in their defense of the rookeries. 
A pi'oclamation was therefore prepared and issued, first by the Eussian consul at 
Yokohama and aftei'Avards also by the Eussian consul in San Francisco, the publica- 
tion being specifically authorized by the Imperial Eussian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
The eonsular Avarniug was as follows : 
NOTICE. 
At the request of the local authorities of Bering and other islands, the undersigned hereby 
notifies that the Russian Imperial Government publishes, for general knowledge, the following: 
1. AVithout a sjiecial permit or license from the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, foreign 
vessels are not allowed to carry on trading, hunting, fishing, etc., on the Russian coast or islands in 
the Okhotsk and Bering Seas or on the northeastern coast of Asia, or within their sea boundary line. 
2. For such permits or licenses foreign vessels should apply to A^ladivostok, exclusively. 
