190 
IN FORBIDDEN SEAS 
for Hakodate. The British ship left on the 11th. 
On the 13th I went to Lieutenant Abaza, who asked 
a number of questions about the seizure of the Otome , 
and took down my replies in writing. On the 17th 
I received the following telegram from Yokohama : 
“ British Consul advises ignore Pelikan’s notice ; 
question Alexander's authority.” 
This I had already done. The notice referred to 
was one issued by the Russian Consul in Yokohama, 
Mr. Pelikan, at the instigation of the company, which 
had sealing privileges on the Russian islands. 
It was not issued by the proper Russian authorities, 
nor even sanctioned by them, and when my case 
was put before the Russian authorities at home, 
they explained that it was considered a local police 
regulation. 
On the 20th the Otome arrived in port flying the 
Russian flag, having been twenty-three days on the 
trip down. The three Japanese sailors were put 
with their compatriots, and “ Old Joe ” was sent to 
the barracks to join the skipper and hunters. Next 
day the schooner was dismantled, everything being 
taken out of her and put on board a store hulk lying 
in the harbour. The authorities were afraid some 
of us might get on board at night and clear out with 
her. 
Day after day passed, and nothing was done. I 
could get nothing from the authorities but evasive 
verbal replies to my letters and personal inquiries, the 
most frequent one being that they could get no orders. 
At the end of September I sent a telegram of ninety- 
four words to the British Ambassador at St. Peters¬ 
burg, giving full particulars of the seizure, and stating 
we had been one month in Vladivostock, that no 
