New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-10
AFFAIRS IN BEHRING SEA.
WHAT THE UNITED STATES AND ENGLISH
MEN-OF-wAR ARE DOING THERE.
ounalaslSa Harhor. A,eution Islands .Iulvl4

| The scaling schooner Marvin, of Victoria, b. c.,
enjoys the questionable notoriety of being the
first prize taken by the war vessels of either
England or the United States for violation of
| the agreement made between Mr. Blaine and Lord
Salisbury for closed scaliig season this wear
in Behring Sea. The circumstances of her capture
are interesting and have furnished the principal
| topic of conversation among the people on shore
| and the officers of the different vessels now mt
| anchor in this harbor. The fact of her capture
after the captain had expressed his contempt for
American law and an American man-of-war, is a
subject of congratulation among the United States
officers.
As soon as the agreement in regard TO sealing
was signed and sealed in Washington the President
! issued proclamation forbidding all American and
other vessels from sealing in the Behring Sea this
year and enjoining the vessels in the service of
the United States to carry out all the points of
| the agreement. The Secretary Of the Navy was
directed to dispatch as many vessels as could he
spared immediately to the Behring Sea to enforce
the law. For this purpose the United States
steamers Thetis, Alert and Mohcan left Mare
| Island the second week in June and proceeded
| with all dispatch to these waters. The Thetis was
to go to Sand Point,~I0poff Island, Shaumagin
| Group, and cruise In the vicinity, while the Mo-
hican and Alert were to go TO Ounaasla Harbor
|
proceed for two weeks cruise around
the Probilof Islands, which are the centre of the
seal-huntng district The United States revenue
steamers Rush and Corvin were also ordered to
| the same duty. They were all TO return TO
! Ounaaska and await further orders by the
! United States ship Marion. The Queen issued
a similar proclamation, and sent two gunboats, the
Nymphe and Pheasant, to these waters, and
third one lis expected to arrive soon from China.
The United States ship Thctis, on leaving Sand
! Point, cruised slowly TO the westward, with
bright lookout for any sealing vessels that might
| come in view. In case vessel was sighted, the
orders Of tie Secretary of the Navy to pro-
| coed as follows: If there was any likelihood Of
her being a seaer, she was to be spoken and
boarded by an officer if she would not heave to
when ordered, shot was to be fired across her
| bow as a signal that business was meant, and if
she still further disregarded the order she
to be fired into. On boarding the vessel her
| papers would be asked for, and if she proved to
have been cleared from the scaling trade the prOca
nation of the President of the United States
was 10 be read to the captain and crew, and the
former would receive written order 10 leave the
| sea at once, and if found again in the Behring
Sea- he was warned, his ship would be subject 10
| capture by either an American or English war
vessel. The officer then required TO indorse
on the ships log and register that she had been
boarded and warned out of the sea, and also the
number if any, of sealskinS on board at the time
| The vessel would then be left to proceed on her
way If boarded again by a war-vessel she would
be legal prize, and sent to OunaasSa, and there
placed under the guard-ship At Ki. which are
four officers and forty marines. The Thetis car
ried out these instructions in regard to twenty
four vessels between Sand Point and Ounalaska
and experienced no trouble except with the
Marvin.
| This vessel was sighted near the Shanmagin
group Of islands, and after the captain had tried
his best to escape, the ThetiS brought him to
| with a shot across his bows. Lieutenant Almy
| was sent on board to determine his character.
| Captain McDugal met him and produced his papers
| rather reluctantly. The papers showed the Mar
| vim to be a licensed seaer from Victoria, B. c.,
and she had cleared for Bchring Sea. The lien
tenant then pulled the proclamation out and
| showed il to him. On reading it over the
captain remarked contemptuousy:
Il don't care a d--n for the Presidents
proclamation 1t amt worth the paper it
written upon"
On being asked what was the matter, he said:
1T amt got no seal on it"
When he finally captured one of the officers
of the Rush had the inhumanity to accuse him
of having gone further into Behring Sea to find
the seal for it.
The officer replied that lie must indorse on his
register and log the facts of the case. At this
the Britisher said Then papers is right and
properly signed, and don't want nothing more
on them" The lieutenant insisted that he must
do so, but the captain still firmly refused 10
have him write ON his papers. The officer, not
having definite orders what to do In such case,
returned TO the ThetS and reported TO Com
mander Reiter of that ship. The latter gentleman,
fearing to make a false step if be rcsorted to
i6pd IN LET schooner 90
and the Thets proceeded on her way to OunalaSl{a.
| On arriving there he found the United States
Revenue steamer Rush at anchor and Just pre-,
! pairing TO go TO sea. Commander Reiter furnished
| her captain with list Of all vessels boarded
from the Thetis and called attention especially TO
The Rush had only gone few miles from port
when schooner was sighted, which, on closer
Inspection, proved TO be the Marvin. Captain
| Carlson, Of the Rush, Immediately hailed her and
sent an armed boats crew on board, which quietly
took possession of her IN the name of the United
states, and the Rush conveyed her into this
Mcpugol, of the Marvin. appealed to her captain
to have him released with his schooner. He was
much taken aback when the British officer told
deserved for hi his "' foashnes s The agree
E me1t with Great Britain having distinctly
scateu mat each country Shall have the
uini OF The vessels Of its country, the Marvin
VIII ne sent to Victoria, b. c., in charge of an
hhiGsn prize crew There is no doubt that she
deiinerately disobeyed the proclamation for when
boarueI oy The Thetis she had no skins on board
fresh SealskinS.
COMMANDER Cotton, who is the senior officer
present IN these waters, called a council of war
on the Momcan, and agreed with the other COM
manders of naval vessels here on a definite plan
of action. The Nymphe, Mohican and Rush have
gone to the frlblloh Islands, and either the Alert
or Corwin Will cruise along the Aleutian Islands
10 intercept any vessels that may attempt TO
steal through the passes between the islands
The Thets VIII also 90 north for a cruise around
the seal ls!ahus, There can he no doubt that
the determined show Of force made by the United
States and England in this case will soon drive
all the seaers out Of the sea
THE PRESIDENTS QUIET S-NDIY