Lord Gough to Mr.
Olney.
British
Embassy,
Newport, R.
I., June 17,
1895.
Sir: With reference to Mr. Uhl’s note of the
5th of April last, requesting information in regard to two vessels, the
C. E. Fox and the Sea
Lion, reported to have been engaged in sealing during the last
season, I have the honor to inform you that I referred the question as
to the identity of these ships to the Governor-General of Canada.
I now have the honor to forward to you copy of an approved minute of his
excellency’s privy council, from which you will observe that no such
vessels are registered in British Columbian ports. The minute, however,
supplies, information in regard to the Diana and
the Carlotta G. Fox, which it is thought may be
the vessels intended.
I have also the honor to inclose copy of a further minute correcting
certain particulars as to the Diana supplied in
the first minute.
I have, etc.
[Inclosure.]
Extract from a report of the committee of the
honorable the privy council, approved by his excellency on the
5th June, 1895.
On a report dated May 27, 1895, from the minister of marine and
fisheries, submitting with reference to the annexed dispatch, dated
April 11, 1895, from Her Majesty’s ambassador at Washington (in
which information is requested as to two vessels, the C. E. Fox and the Sea
Lion, reported to have been engaged in sealing during the
last season), the appended communication just received from the
collector of customs at Victoria, British Columbia, on the subject,
from which it will be observed that, so far as known, there are no
such vessels as the C. E. Fox and the Sea Lion registered in British Columbia
ports, nor can the names of those vessels be found among those
mentioned in the list of American vessels sealing in or voyaging
from ports on the Pacific Ocean. The collector of customs states,
however, that there was, on the register of the port of Victoria, a
sealing vessel, named the Sea Lion, built in
1889, official No. 94811, but on the 19th of January, 1893, the name
of this schooner was changed by order in council to the Diana, under which name the vessel was
reported in 1894, with her catch, having departed on a sealing
voyage to the Asiatic side in the spring and returning in the fall.
The particulars respecting this vessel are given as follows:
Tonnage, 50; white crew, 19; boats, 6; Japanese coast catch, 1,961;
Copper Island catch, 43; total, 2,394 seal skins.
The minister observes touching the inquiry in connection with the C. E. Fox, that the collector of customs is
of the opinion that it is not improbable that the vessel referred to
is the Carlotta G. Fox, official No. 97154,
the particulars of whose catch are as follows: Tonnage, 76; white
crew, 24; boats, 7; catch, 1,947 (Japanese coast).
The minister observes that this vessel, which cleared from and
returned to Victoria, was included in the tabulated statements which
have been already forwarded.
The committee advise that your excellency be moved to forward a
certified copy of
[Page 646]
this
minute, as well as of the communication from Collector of Customs
Milne to Her Majesty’s ambassador at Washington, and also to the
right honorable Her Majesty’s principal secretary of state for the
colonies.
All which is respectfully submitted for your excellency’s
approval.
John J. McGee,
Clerk of the Privy Council.
Customs, Canada.
Victoria,
British Columbia, May
9, 1895.
John Hardie, Esq.,
Acting Deputy Minister of Marine, etc.,
Ottawa.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 22d ultimo, conveying the information
that the honorable the minister of marine and fisheries had
received, through his excellency the Governor-General, a request
from the State Department of the United States for information
concerning two schooners, the C. E. Fox and
the Sea Lion, which were reported to have
been engaged during 1894, in the seal fishery.
I beg to state for the information of the honorable minister that
there are no such vessels as the C. E. Fox
and Sea Lion registered at this or any other
British Columbian port, nor can I find those names mentioned in a
list of American vessels sealing in, or voyaging from ports on the
Pacific Ocean.
There was on the register of this port a sealing schooner named the
Sea Lion, built in 1889, official No.
94811, but on the 19th day of January, 1893, the name of the same
schooner Sea Lion was changed by order in
council to the Diana, under which name this
vessel was reported in 1894 with her catch, having departed on a
sealing voyage to the Asiatic side in the spring and returning in
the fall.
The particulars of her catch are as follows: Tonnage, 50; white crew,
19; boats, 6; Japanese coast catch, 1,961; Copper Island catch, 43;
total 2,394.
Regarding the other vessel which you mention, named the C. E. Fox, I am impressed that this is
intended to refer to a sealing vessel on the register of this port,
named the Carlotta G. Cox, official No.
97154. The particulars of the catch of this vessel are as follows:
Tonnage, 76; white crew, 24; boats, 7; catch, 1,947 (Japanese
coast); total catch of skins taken by this vessel, 1,947.
This vessel clearing from and returning to this port in the fall, and
her catch is included in the tabulated statements of the sealing
catch of 1894.
I have, etc.,
Extract from a report of the committee of the
honorable the privy council, approved by his excellency on the
8th June, 1895.
On a report dated 3d June, 1895, from the minister of marine and
fisheries, submitting, in reference to the minute of councilapproved
under date 5th June, 1895, forwarding certain information asked for
by the United States Government in respect of two vessels (the C. E. Fox and the Sea
Lion) reported to have been engaged in sealing during the
season of 1894, the appended communication just received from the
collector of customs at the port of Victoria, correcting a slight
error which occurred in his previous letter, appended to the minute
of council above referred to, in connection with the catch of the
schooner Diana (formerly Sea Lion).
The committee advise that your excellency be moved to forward a
certified copy of this minute, if approved, together with its
appendix, to Her Majesty’s ambassador at Washington and to the right
honorable the principal secretary of state for the colonies.
All which is respectfully submitted for your excellency’s
approval.
John J. McGee,
Clerk of the Privy Council.
Customs, Canada,
Victoria,
British Columbia, May
28, 1895.
John Hardie, Esq.,
Acting Deputy Minister of Marine, etc.,
Ottawa.
Sir: Reverting to my letter of the 9th
instant, in answer to yours of the 22d ultimo, re schooners Sea Lion and C. E.
Fox, I find in examining the copy that an unaccountable error
was made in giving the catch of the schooner Diana, formerly the Sea Lion, on
the twenty-second line, by giving the Copper Island catch as 43
instead of 433 the total, however, being correct. The particulars
should have been as follows: Japanese coast catch, 1,961; Copper
Island catch, 433; total, 2,394.
I have, etc.,
