Milford chronicle., 1904-07-22
JAPs AFTER SEALS.
Russia's ROOkerIes Are Now Free to
the Pirates.


1t is an i'll wind that blows no one !
good luck. and this year will be har-
vest time for the seal poachers. The |
Russian gunboat Mandjur, which pa
trolled the coasts of the Russian seal /
islands last summer and seized twelve |
japanese sealing schoOners. is safely
tied up at Shanghai disarmed, dis
mantled. a dismembered hulk only.
The Korietz, that made a cruise or two
looking for pelagic sealers, is a heap
Of twisted iron at the bottom Of Che
mulpo harbor. and the seal pOacher is
happy. Now may he raid the roOkeries
on Copper and Robin islands and loot
the storehouses, if he will, shoot the
timid sea offers, whose pelts are worth
1000 gold dollars each and often more.
and rejoice and make big money while
the Russians are otherwise engaged.
The rich mine, the great storehouse Of
adventure and exciting deeds wrapped
up in the seal poacher's calling, has at
last been Il little opened up. Years ago
seal hunting and seal poaching was
great business, and little fleet of tall
masted schooners used to make Hako-
date and Yokohama their home ports.
They would clear away, ostcnsibly to
trade in copra in the south sea islands,
and end up in northern waters, where
the seals swim and the fOgs lie low all
summer.
1t was a joy and spice Of life for these
sealing schooner crews to raid the rock
cries on the well guarded Russian is
lands. If the attempt succeeded they
could sail away from the sealing
grounds with a full catch. If the Rus
SLAMS discovered them, schooner and all
were confscated and destroyed, and
the Adventures were sent off to work
in the salt mines or do other hard gov
ernment labor in Siberia.
There must be a shipload of docu-
ments somewhere in the state depart
ment at Washington relating to the
claims of native born and naturalized
American citizens for damages from
the Russian government. The state de
partment never pushed these claims
since the most of the claimants hac
only received their just dues and fully
deserved all that had been done Il
them.
one skipper cherished and nursed his
rrudge after he had experienced sea
son of Russian mines and prisons anl
had made his escape. He reappeare'
in Yokohama with a new schooner
loaded it with champagne and delica
lessen stores and sailed boldly away {
Z the Russian station in the Comman
dorsbi islands lie asked only for wa
fer TO make some repairs, and. as thoI
ough search revealed no sealing appa
> ratus. no weapons or nets, they let tn
agreeable rover rest awhile, watchin
him closely. however.
One night-the shippers birthday
? perhaps-there was feast on boar
and champagne flowed like water 1
+ honor of all the Russian officers, VIII
q were guests. While this went on ahoa
the schooner's crew were ashore, trea
I ing the rest of the inhabitants Of III
seal island to fiery drinks, and whe
4 vodka and whisky and other nike
= fluids had done their work the ere
, forced the doors of the storehouses an
4 carried the neat bundles of salted ski
. TO their waiting boats and slowed thei
away in the schOoners hold. Then Il
o sleeping visitors were rOwed ashore an
+ laid comfortably on the sands, and Il
pirate ship sailed away with the grea
, est catch of all known seasons. II
O skinner retired from sealing and toe
O to tanner pursuits on shore in the OPT
+ ports. as he could well afford to
after that haul.
He is known still to the older re-
dents as the pirate king, and one
ten wonders if the local races and sto'
market and the dinner coat every mig
in an electric lighted club can make
for the cool, salt smell Of the sea, t
81 believing seals in the fog and t
- sound of the gunbOat on patrol steal
Il ing around in the mist in search of t
le noaching sealer.-TokyO Cor. kans
City Times.