Mr. Olney to Sir Julian Pauncefote.
Washington, October 1, 1895.
Excellency: I have the honor to inform you that from a report dated the 21st ultimo, received at the Treasury Department from Capt. C. L. Hooper, R. C. S., commanding the Bering Sea fleet, it appears that on the morning of August 20 last, in latitude 54° 54ʹ 03ʺ north, [Page 677] longitude 168° 31ʹ 21ʺ west, the British sealing schooner Beatrice, of Vancouver, was boarded by two officers from the revenue steamer Rush, and found to have 147 seal skins on board, while her official log recorded but 64, and that 4 of the skins showed evidence that the seals had been shot, and that he seized the Beatrice, her tackle, cargo, etc., for violations of the fifth article of the regulations of the Paris award, set forth in the British act of Parliament known as the Bering Sea award act, 1894.
In view of the report made by Captain Hooper as to the shooting of seals, the Treasury Department has instructed that officer to prepare and file an amended declaration with the commander of Her Majesty’s steamship Pheasant, specifying the killing of seals with firearms by the crew of the Beatrice in Bering Sea, in violation of the sixth article of the regulations referred to and of the Bering Sea award act.
I have, etc.,