The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-01

~ NE ~ these mornings the Russian
~ n Bear viii find that the rising sun
g shines 700 warm across the Japan
~ sea ana viii rouse up in an III
" humc- This WIN ne a sad sign
for seals especially IL the morning Is In
May. II win be . dawn they will not
forget though their memories Of il Will
not be long for from the moment the
Rear begins 70 growl the sun VIII occupy
his attention To the exclusion Of other
things in the Pacific The seals VIII ind
themselves between the devil and the deep
sea. The seals devil Is the hunter and
;he hunter Is waiting only for Russia and
Japan 70 get at each other. Then he viii
steam up to the long thin line Of Islands
across the northern ocean. which BE has
yearned TO visit these many years and
will take every bachelor" IN sight This
means goudhy to many seal skins, for
bachelors are the hopc Of the Ripper ma
tion.
Capt H. J Snow. OF the Royal Geo
graphical Society. has been among these
islands more thoroughly and ohservingly
than any other Euglsh-speakng man. lie
was the first to pat some of them on the
map. He knows Yesso well. and the
Kurile islands. running north from Yesso
10 Kamchatka: also the many bits OF rock
where otter used to 80 and seals stiil
visit, that dot the Bering sea and form
a chain of volcanic peaks running as far
east as Alaska. The Alcutlau and the
Prihilof islands are now part OF the Unit
ed States. bu; the hundreds of other is
lands relies perhaps Of the same ancient
eruption. are part Of the cars empire.
Russian priests have been 20 many OF
them, and go have Russian gunhoats,
Capt. Snow has had many adventures
among them. One OF these made him
famous In Japan. and the Japan Mail,
which in those days did not always see
exactly straight. took occasion to say
mean things The captain had the better
of Il. however, and Cant Briukly, the
owner of the Mail, saluted
Capt Snow had been up as far as the
ice ould let him so. and on the way back
had laid to not far from ono Of Russia's
islands He purposed 20 get a ait Of fresh
meat, and went toward shore IN a boot.
Far north as he was the bit OF water be-
tween him and the island was warm The
island was as innocent IN appearance as
kopie. and it was as dangerous for men
with guns were there who were as invisible
as Beers, and good shots. AZ soon as
the boat was within range there was a
stream OF reports. and with each report a
bullet -Four OF thesc bullets struck Capt
Snow. who was standing Ia the bow aud
"a dozen other put three Of his crew TO
sleep and wounded two others badly The
captain could not see anyone. and he woni1
not have lived TO tell the tale II the
shooters had not fred so fast that their
guns became too hot and the bullets soft
ened, sloughed and fali short, This slough
ing gave 60 Capt Snow a chance to get
back to his yacht ana he took advantage
of II. Few men have had narrower es-
capes. AS he had stood looking toward the
shore. resting the butt OF his gun on the
prov and holding the barrel IN his hand
one shot had gone through his hair one
through his Thigh. one had struck him in his
watch pocket and had travelled half way
around his body against his cardigan
Jacket, and another had cut hts hand and
nattened on his gun barrel and bad drop
ped into the boat. The captain said TIL
guns ON shore were KemnRtons, when
the Russians bad given 90 their guards
on the Islands u XIII puachers with
when Japan becomes SO obtrusve tina.
Russia has to see to her these men ani
guns win turn toward the south. and lsI
the seals and otter look out FOR them
selves. Poachors are un the outlook aiii
90 the hrst signal will start north from
Kobe. Yokohama. Hakodate, Vancouver.