The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-08
Highest Of al Leavenng Powes-U. Govt Report Aug IT. 1850
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getting out OF the scrape, however, and he
submitted as gracefully as possible.
The seizure Of the Coquitlam will put
an end to the further progress of every
seaier who depended on her to take her
Pacific catch back to Victoria and fol-, sup
plies to continue the voyage either to the
Japan coast, the Copper islands or Boring
sea.
SO terrified were the native crews of tho
sealing vessels in Port Etches at the time
OF the seizure that they deserted their ves-
sells almost to man, and it is reported
have refused to go mile further after seals.
All they want to do now is to get back to
Vancouver island. The blow to the British
sealers is heavy one, as it not only entails
loss of over 5000 skins, worth at the
least calculation $4,000, but, as stated
above, on account of the lack of supplies,
will prevent them from catching any more
this season.
Startling rumors reached this place to-
day by the British warship Melpomene of
the probable death of two Of three men
left on st. Matthews island last year by
the sealing schooner Matte Dyer to hunt
polar bear through the winter. The Mel
pomene visited the island last week and
found no one there, and the whaling
schooner Bonanza. just down from the
Arctic, brings the news that one of the
hunters was taken off the island by the
revenue cutter Bear early in June last;
that the two others had been separated in
some way or had gone off hunting and
could not be found. The subsequent
visit of the Melpomene and failure
to find any trace of the lost
men leads to the belief that they have
persisted. St. Matthews island has long
been known to be infested with polar
bears and the hunters who wintered there
were left for the purpose of investigating
the feasibility of putting up station and
hunting the animals during the winter.
While the bears are shy and cowardly
during the summer when food is plenty
no one knows what they might not do
during the winter when hunger renders
them desperate. 1t is feared that the two
missing hunters may have been victims to
the belief in the foolish assertion made by
writer some years since, who gravely
stated in an official report, that the bears
on this island while being very numerous
were absolutely harmless.
Since my last letter I have been on
board one of the Boring sea codfishermen
and ascertained some facts in regard to
this little known industry of Alaska.
which feel certain will be interesting to
the business men and capitalists of the
Sound, and more particularly of Seattle.
There are at present five vessels, two
barkentines and three schooners, engaged
in taking Goldfish on the banks inside the
sea. The master of the vessel visited,
barkentine Fremont. of San Francisco.
was enthusiastic in his description of the
excellent quality of the fish taken and
has the greatest confidence in asserting
that at no tar distant day the fish from
these banks will be sent into the strong
hold of the Eastern fishermen, and that it
will be possible to sell Alaska Goldfish in
Gloucester. Mass. Here is the result of
thirty-six days work and the rate of paw