EXHIBIT I.
Protocol.
On the 29th of August (September 10), 1892, at 3 a.m., in 46° 33’ latitude north and 146° 30’ longitude east, on board the schooner Maria, under command of Lieutenant von Cube, a bark was sighted, lying to, which, upon the approach of the schooner, hoisted a white light and under this a red light. An officer was at once sent from the schooner in a ship’s boat to request the captain of the bark to report aboard the schooner with his sailing papers. When the captain, Thomas Scullun, had been questioned and his papers examined, it was found that the American bark Cape Horn Pigeon was engaged in whaling in the Sea of Okhotsk, and moreover, from the points indicated on the chart, it was evident that she had entered the Gulf of Aniva and of Patience, and that her general course was in a direction to the southeast of the island of Tuleny. The captain of the bark declared that he had mistaken the Russian schooner for the American schooner Mary H. Thomas, which was engaged in whaling and sealing, that he was waiting to communicate with her, and to this end had hoisted the signal agreed upon. It was announced to the captain of the bark that he would be conducted with said bark to Vladivostok for investigation into the question of his right to engage in such industry and to sojourn in our waters.
The crew of the American bark was transferred to the schooner, and the crew of the Russian schooner to the bark; Captain Scullun, with his servant and steward, were left aboard the bark. At 10 o’clock in the morning the two vessels weighed anchor and repaired to Vladivostok.
- Ensign Simansky.
- Lieutenant von Cube.