The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-01
FROM FROZEN SEAS.
Captain Healy's Views on Sealing
in Behring Sea.
Stormy Weather and Small Catches Off red
No Iuducement to Poaching-sohool-
Houses Built.

Captain Healy. commander of the United
States revenue cutter Bear. brought his YES
Sci into port yesterday and has taken a
berth at the Gee idental Hotel. Every turn
he makes there brings him face to face with
some old friend who is anxious to exchange
greetings and welcome his return to the city.
The Captain con7ersed for a few minutes
last night with CALL reporter on matters
pertinent TO the last voyage of the Bear.
He said: 1--WE left here on May Sd last, for
Alaska. From there we went to Cape Nay
arna and distributed the presents awarded
by Congress to the Indians who saved the
crew Of the bark Napoleon, in 1885. The
Indians were very much delighted with the
gifts, and acted as American children act
over toys on Christmas morning.
TAKING THE CENSUS.
Then we called at great many Indian
settlements on the American and Siberian
shores, and took the census at places where
others found 1t too difficult to go. We built
school-houSeS at Cape Prince of Wales and
Point Hope, and commenced the erection of
another building at Point Barrow. We pa
trolled the coast until September LIST, when
We relieved the Rush and continued her
cruise around the sealing islands until our
departure for this port. The weather has
been very stormy in Behring Sea and we
had plenty to do frequently in weathering
the gales.
do believe the seals in Behring Sea are
being exterminated? Nobody can say, un-
less thoroughly acquainted with the habits
OF the seals. L think there ara probably as
many seals as ever, but the bad weather
this season may have caused the small
catch and confined the larger catches
10 only few hunters. 1t must
also be considered that it is
not the fault of the hunters if the seals are
almD ST q for tha cIo
is lndlscrlminate and the nets, guns and
spears used are the very best in modern in
vention and American ingenuity. II should
not be 4 matter Of surprise if the seals re-
fuse to herd as thickly as in former years
Some captains told me that they have seen
fur seals farther north this year than be-
fore This may have been caused by scar
city OF food Or stormy weather.
NO PoACHERS CAUGHT.
Have l discovered much poaching this
year? No; | saw quite a number of sus-
picious vessels, but none of them were at
work. think 1t Is mistake to believe
that poachers reap harvest in the Behring
Sea. You must know that at the present
time the sealing vessels so south, some as
far as the Mexican coast, and work their
way north in search of seals. They ar
range to reach Behring Sea by the middle of
july, in time for the opening of
the season there. BY the middle
Of September, when the season closes.
they return south. Now, if poacher is
caught with big catch on board it is alto
gether probable that the greater part of the
cargo has been taken from the Pacific
Ocean during the trip northward. You can
then readily perceive that the puachers are
not the principal exterminators of the seals.
The modern appliances for killing aud
wounding the seals are to blame for the evil
threatene d.
- have not been able to discuss with
Alaskans the International difficulty over
seal-hunting in Behring Sea. 1t was i'm
possible TO get very many men together at
given point on my cruise, and therefore
was unable to CLEAN the ideas of the people
up there on the subject. Why, in Western
Alaska there are only 500 people, and that
section of the country covers over 5000
miles, so you see that any gathering of the
residents would be very small. l learned
nothing to determine me upon the views of
the people on the international sealing
troubles this season, and during my cruise
little or nothing occurred to furnish me
with ANYTHING new on the situation of af-
fairs. The catch was small this season, the
weather was very stormy and there was but
limited inducemept for poaching ANYWAY"