No. 21.
Mr. Rives to Mr. Phelps.

No. 982.]

Sir: I inclose herewith, for your information, a copy of a dispatch to this Department from Mr. Stevens, our consul at Victoria, British Columbia, relative to the fur-seal industry, giving an account of the business for the season which has just closed.

I am, etc.,

G. L. Rives,
Acting Secretary.
[Inclosure with No. 982.]

Mr. Stevens to Mr. Rives .

No. 374.]

Sir: Within the last week all but one of the Victoria sealing fleet of fifteen vessels have arrived in port, having completed the season’s cruise.

No unusual incident is mentioned save the seizure of the Araunah, belonging to Hall & Goepel, of this city, off Copper Island, July 1 last, by the Alexander II, belonging to the Alaska Commercial Company and floating the Russian flag, as stated by the public press in reporting the seizure. Messrs. Hall & Goepel have given me Captain Sieward’s statement, viz:

“That the Araunah was seized on the 1st of July, 6 or 8 miles from the shore of the southern extremity of Copper Island, by the Alaska Commercial Company’s [Page 1844] steamer Alexander II, floating a Russian flag (not the national flag of Russia, hut a Russian flag of some kind—possibly a revenue flag). The Russian Inspector-General of the islands was on board the steamer at the time of seizure. The ground of seizure given was that Russia claims the sovereignty of the Behring Sea, and the inspector stated that he would have seized the vesselhad she been even 100 miles further south. The Araunah was first taken to Vladivostock and then to Petropaulovski, where the Indian hunters were paid for their canoes, and at which port the Araunah now lies. Thence the crew were shipped by the Russian Government in a vessel to Nagasaki, where the captain noted protest. The British Board of Trade there forwarded them to Yokohama, to be taken by the steam-ship Batavia to Vancouver.

Apropos of this, on the 12th July last, a boat’s crew from the Nemo, of Yokohama, was fired into from the shore off Atton Island by the Aleuts, the captain killed and two men wounded. This press print was attested as true by Mr. Gray, of Yokohama, yesterday.

The total catch of the Victorian sealers Mr. Lubbe gives at 14,897 seal and 152 otter skins; for the last season (1887) 30,200, including abont 12,000 seized. Only five American sealers have reported here this season. They have had the same luck as the Victorians. There has been an unusual period of heavy weather and fog at the north. Seal skins are worth $6.25; otter $105.

I am, etc.,

Robt. J. Stevens,
Consul.
  1. Identic instructions were sent to U. S. minister to Russia.