No. 23.
Sir L. S.
Sackville West to Mr. Bayard.
Washington, October 12,
1887. (Received October 13.)
Sir: In connection with the representation
which I was instructed to make to you respecting the seizure of the
British schooners Onward, Carolena, and Thornton, by the United States cruiser Corwin, in Behring’s Sea, I have the honor to
inform you that I am now further instructed to make similar
representations in the cases of the British Columbian vessels Grace, Dolphin, and W. P.
Sayward, seized lately by the United States revenue-cutter Richard Rush, and at the same time, as in the
cases of the Onward, Carolina, and Thornton, to reserve all rights to compensation
on behalf of the owners and crews.
I am also instructed to point out to you that according to the deposition
of the mate of the W. P. Sayward, a copy of which
is inclosed, no seals had been taken by her crew in Behring’s Sea, as is
alleged in the libels of information filed on behalf of the United
States district attorney in the district court of Alaska.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
Deposition of Andrew Lang, mate of the schooner
W. P. Sayward.
declaration.
I, Andrew Lang, of Victoria, mate of the British schooner W. P. Sayward, do solemnly and sincerely
declare—
That I left Victoria, British Columbia, in the schooner W. P. Sayward on the 16th day of May, 1887,
bound on a sealing voyage, with a crew of seven men and sixteen
Indian hunters, with eight canoes.
We commenced sealing off Cape Scott, on the north of Vancouver
Island, and killed 479 fur seals in the Pacific Ocean, and entered
the Bering’s Sea on July 2, 1887, passing between Umnak Island and
the Island of the Four Mountains. The weather was very thick and
foggy, and we did no sealing in Bering’s Sea in consequence.
On the 9th July we were captured by the United States steamer Richard Rush, being then from 30 to 40 miles
off the nearest land. We were taken in tow to Ounalaska, where we
arrived on the 10th of July, and they laid us alongside the steamer
St. Paul, belonging to the Alaska
Commercial Company. They removed the seal skins and took them ashore
to the wharf and put them in the company’s warehouse, and they
resalted the skins with salt taken from our vessel. They put an
officer from the Rush on board and towed us
out to sea and told us to go to Sitka.
We arrived there on the 22d July, and on the next day an
investigation was held before Judge Dawson, who bound us over to
appear on the 22d of August for trial
[Page 1796]
The vessel was left in charge of the United
States officers, and we were only allowed to remove our clothing.
The Indians were left to find their way home as they could. They
were about 700 miles from their villages.
I further say that when we were taken I spoke to the captain of the
Rush, and told him we had not taken a
seal in Behring’s Sea. He replied, “I am sorry for you; I have to
obey orders, and take everything I come across in Behring’s
Sea.”
And I make this solemn declaration by virtue of the act passed in the
thirty-seventh year of Her Majesty’s reign, entitled “An act for the
suppression of Voluntary and extra-judicial oaths.”
Taken and declared before me at Victoria this 8th day of August,
1887.
M. W. Tyrwhitt
Drake,
Notary
Public.
