48 
FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA, 1909. 
these, 20 Japanese were boarded by our Revenue-Cutter Service on 
patrol and 3 additional by H. M. S. Algerine , assigned to the patrol by 
the British Government. The catch of the Japanese up to August 17, 
as reported to the boarding officers, was 6,610. It is believed that 
their total catch for the season will approximate 10,000 and be 
equal at least to that of 1908. 
None of the five Canadian schooners which were granted licenses 
for sealing in 1909 were boarded by the patrol vessels after August 1, 
and it is believed that their operations were conducted far off the 
Pribilof Islands. Those that were boarded were in the neighborhood 
of the Semidis on June 23, when their masters stated their inten- 
tion to visit the Commander Islands and later to seal in Bering Sea. 
As stated before, none were afterwards seen sealing by the patrol, 
although the Thomas F. Bayard put into Unalaska harbor on August 
17, and her master stated his intention to seal thereafter about 200 
miles north and east of the Pribilofs. 
Authentic reports of the pelagie catch of 1909 are meager. No 
report from Japanese officials showing the 1909 catch of vessels flying 
that flag has been received. The United States consul at Victoria, in 
a telegram of November 10, last, informed the State Department that 
the official figures of the Canadian catch for 1909, complete, are as 
follows: British Columbia, coast, 1,493; outside area, 623; Bering 
Sea, 1,439; Indian catch, 187; total, 3,742. 
To this must be added a coast catch by Indians on the coast of the 
United States of 411, so far as now known. 
Seizures of sealing vessels. — On July 9 the revenue cutter Perry 
seized the Japanese schooner Tenyu Maru, having captured one of 
her boats within the 3-mile limit, in which boat was the body of a 
fur seal recently shot. The schooner was taken to Unalaska and 
after a preliminary hearing before the United States commissioner 
at that place the master and crew, 17 men in all, were bound over to 
the grand jury at Valdez for trial at the October session of the United 
States district court. They were transported to Valdez on the 
cutter Perry and given over to the United States marshal at that 
place on September 4 to await the action of the grand jury. The 
schooner was held at Unalaska. 
On September 2, at Walrus Island, about 7 miles from Northeast 
Point, two Japanese rowboats from the schooner Fun Maru, con- 
taining six Japanese seamen, one fur seal, and complete sealing 
outfits, were seized by assistant agent Judge and natives for sealing 
within the 3-mile limit. These six Japanese were delivered to the 
revenue cutter Bear, which took them to Unalaska. They were tried 
there before the United States commissioner and each sentenced to 
three months in jail and a fine of $200 and costs. A failure to pay 
the fine and costs will extend the jail sentence to more than six 
