The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-09-28
PgACRlNG IN BEhRING SEA.


For the Honolulu BULLETIN, by }. Leo
nard Bennett, L. 5. >, Marion.
There are but few people who read
the daily papers chat are not more or
lees acquainted with tGe different
phases OF tue hehring SEA- Ju stiou
so long undecided and wrangled over
by the different nations interested,
Bat even then the. evil I'D man who
would DE- soon 90 without his break
fast as his morning paper, and keeps
himself posted on the leading topics
Of the day, may yet know but little
Of the active part taken by Two Of
the greatest governments to enforce
their proclamattons closing the Behr-
ing Sea.
When the President of the United
States and the English Prime Minis
ter issued their proclamatons for
bidding sealing, these two govern
ment heads did not then consider
their duties done. Far from il. Both
American and British ships of war
were despatched to cruise in the
closed sta, first TO warn sealers and
serve them with copy Of the procla-
nation, and then in the event of the
sealers still continuing to hunt .in-
stead of leaving, to seize their ves-
sells and await the action of their re.
spectlve governments And now
about The wary sealer. What Bret
Harte says of the heather Chlnee
with little twisting just fits the
sealer:
For ways that are dark
And tricks that are VAIN
The fur hunting sealer's peculiar.
There is not the slightest doubt
that every sealer when he started
early for the Behwng Sea knew full
well of the proclamation forbidding
hunting, but not having been otlici-
ally warned they were according to
law not liable. What then does the
enterprising seaIer do? Why, he
makes it his business to reach the
hunting grounds and catch as many
skins as possible before the govern
ment vessels arrive, and even then
to dodge them and keep from being
warned as long as possible. For
once warned the sealer's game is up.
With skins worth this season twenty
three dollars each, all the schooners
after paying expenses make money
for their owners with but few eXcep-
tions.
The first thing a Government officer
does on boarding seaIer is to exam
inc her papers and if not previously
warned to write the warning and
date across the papers, also the eX-
act number Of skins on board at the
time. The officer then reads the
President orders and leaves copy
Of the proclamation, also ordering
the captain to at once leave the sea.
Should the same vessel be again
boarded in the sea, the officer seeing
her papers marked warned, will at
once count the skins on board and if
there is but one more than the num-
Der specified On he papers to show
the captain has disobeyed orders,
why-he gone captain. A smart
skipper may manage to dodge man
of-war tor time, but u round shot
across his bows would undoubtedly
cause him to heave to.
The men who sail the Behring Sea
in quest Of fur know nearly all the
moves worth knowing, and although
at last run down and forced to leave
the sea, or run the risk of losing his
vessel, he will choose the former
course with q good grace, for by his
push and energy in reaching the sea
ahead Of the Government vessels be
has already made tolerable good
season.
"Men-of-Nar may pillow The Betting Sea
To stop The sealers game,
But, like the Indian without pants,
He gets there lust the same"