The San Francisco call., 1898-02-15
SEALERS IN
 HARD LUCK The Weather UnfavOra- ble and the Hunters
 Deserting.
Three of the Crew of the Mary Taylor Lost the Schooner
 in Fog.
Landed at the Mouth of Russian River and Sold the Vessels Boat
 and Guns.

This years sealing fleet Is not very large one, and those vessels that did venture out are having a hard time Of it. Captain Billy O'Leary of the schooner Geneva reports that seals are very scarce and wild, and the weather very unsuitable for hunting. Captain A. Nelson of the schooner Mary Taylor lost seven of his men and had to put into port for repairs. He also reports seals being very scarce. So the chances for anything like a catch this year are very poor.
 The Mary Taylor left Victoria, B. C., last Monday for a cruise along the coast. A week ago one of the boats got lost in the fog while out hunting. The schooner cruised about in the vicinity for twenty-four hours, when the cap tain came to the conclusion that the men had either reached shore in safety or that the boat had gone down and the men were drowned. A Iew days ago the foremast head of the schooner was sprung in a gale of wind, and the captain had to put into Drakes Bay for repairs. On his arrival there he found that the men who were lost in the fog had reached the mouth of Rus sian River in safety. They sold the boat to two fishermen and the hunting guns to a rancher and then made the best of their way to San Francisco. Two of the men started to walk-one of them walking along the edge of the cliff and the other sticking to the beach. The fog came down again and they lost each other. The man who was on the cliff has not been seen since, but the one who stuck to the beach reached San Francisco in safety where he was found by Captain Nelson yesterday.
 While the work of repairing the schooner was going on four more of the crew deserted. The captain and the mate chased them for quite a distance, but they also got lost in the fog and made their escape. Being seven men short in his crew Captain Nelson had to come to San Francisco in order to fill the vacancies. He got his men to- gether last night and at once left for Drakes Bay He expects to continue his hunting cruise to-day.
 The Cox 6 Marvin sealing fleet Of Victoria. B. C., will not be put in com mission this year. All their schooners were hauled out of retirement and docked at the various wharves. The sailors and hunters had been engaged. Indian crews for some of the boats had been secured and the stores were on hoard when the owners suddenly changed their minds and returned the vessels to their anchorage in Victoria arm There they lie until more favor ahle opportunity for seal hunting ar rives. The precautions taken by the Tinted States to prevent poacnlng seems to have had a good deal to do with the non- commissioning or thls fleet of British sealers.
 The river steamer Herald broke down at a most opportune time yes- terdav. She had completed her morn ing trip from Vallejo and Mare Island and was just backing into Green-street wharf to discharge some flour when her shaft broke. Luckily her stern lines held and she was warped into her berth without doing any damage. While her new shaft is being put in the steamer Sonoma will take her place on the Vallejo run.
 About twenty-five painters, patchers and piledriverS were discharged by the Harbor Commissioners yesterday. OW- ing to. the injunction now pending in court treated piles for the repairing of the wharves cannot be procured. and furthermore nearly all the heads Of departments under the commission are in attendance on the court and cannot look after the men at work. The chief engineers department has been taking advantage of the low tides during the past week and has marked out all places along the water front that re- quire repiling. The work of repairing