EXHIBIT II.
Report of the Commanding Officer of the Schooner Maria to the Commander of the Pacific Squadron.
In conformity with the orders received from your excellency I took command of the schooner Maria on the 20th of August. This command was transmitted to me by the chief of district of the Commander Islands, and I began at once to put the schooner in order. I had all of the quarters scrubbed with the brush, as also the upper deck. I took on a supply of drinking water and dissipated the bad odor by frequently introducing water by means of the pumps. I took on provisions for the crew sufficient to last two months, and on the 24th of August I was ready to sail.
On the 24th of August at 8 p.m. I left by the outer road from Petropavlovsk. On the 25th of August at 9 a.m. the first-class cruiser Vitiaz weighed anchor, tendered me a cable, and at 10 o’clock, towed by the cruiser, I directed my course toward the outlet of the bay of Avatchinsk. Leaving the bay, I sailed in a direction parallel with the shore at a speed of from 6 to 8½ knots. From time to time when the wind permitted I augmented sail. During the night of August 26 the west wind became strong, the schooner was much shaken by the rolling and tossing of the sea, and was taking in water.
On August 26 toward 3 p.m. we entered the third strait. At about 6 p.m. the fog had somewhat lifted, I could take my bearings. At 10 p.m., leaving the fifth strait, still towed by the cruiser, I directed my course westward. I followed this direction until August 27 at 1.30 p.m., when the tow cable tendered by the cruiser broke. [Page 292] Having received by signal the order to proceed to my destination, I spread sail and took the southwesterly direction. During the first three hours I maintained a speed of 9 knots, but at 6 o’clock in the evening the wind became so strong that it was necessary to reef sails, after which the speed diminished to no more than 6 knots. I continued in same direction until the 28th of August at 4 p.m., when I verified my position at 47° 10′ latitute north and 147° 24′ longitude east. The wind was still from ENE. After this verification I continued the same course. The wind abated gradually, and at midnight passed from S/2 to WSW.
At 3 a.m., I sighted at two points to starboard a vessel which I was not able to clearly distinguish on account of the fog. This vessel at my approach hoisted a white light above a red light, which was evidently a signal agreed upon. Approaching to a distance of less than a cable throw, and having ascertained that it was a whaling vessel, I dropped anchor, lowered a boat, in it placed armed oarsmen, and I sent Ensign Simansky to learn its mission, and to request the captain to report to me with his documents and charts. Capt. Thomas Scullun having boarded the cruiser declared that the said bark bears the name of Cape Horn Pigeon, and is engaged in the industry of whaling in the sea of Okhotsk; that he had killed two whales this year, of which the oil and bone could be found on the bark. To the question put by me as to the meaning of the two lights hoisted upon the bark, he answered they were a signal agreed upon, addressed to the schooner Mary H. Thomas, for which he had mistaken my vessel. The schooner Mary H. Thomas is engaged in whaling and sealing.
Having examined the navigation chart of the bark, I was convinced that she had followed a direction principally to the south of the island of Tuleny, but that she had been off the east coast and the northwest coast of that island at a distance of 10 miles. Taking into consideration the facts that the Tuleny Island is almost in a state of siege, the relation between the bark and a schooner engaged in sealing, and her continued presence at points not far from the said island, I concluded that this bark, besides it special calling, had some sort of bearing upon the seal fisheries in the vicinity of the island. It is possible that she furnishes the schooners with provisions or that she serves them as a storeship. For this reason I resolved to conduct her to Vladivostok. I learned, moreover, from the captain that his first mate, William Jong, had landed twelve years ago from a schooner upon the island of Tuleny, where he had killed 13,000 seals during one summer, from which it appears that among the bark’s crew there were experts at this industry.
Finding it impossible to inspect the hold, and thus convince myself of the bark’s participation in this sort of illegal industry, I took the above-mentioned determination, to the end, moreover, that a commission, specially appointed, might examine the hold and ascertain the truth.
I learned from the captain that he had asked through the medium of the governor of the maritime province permission to engage in whaling in the bays of the sea of Okhotsk, and had offered our Government $500 dollars to obtain that privilege, but permission was emphatically refused. I knew that the clipper Abrek had overhauled and detained this same bark off the Chantarsky Islands, but had not seized her because she had no whales on board, but had warned her that the industry was illegitimate. Haying examined her chart I found that she had lingered several times near the Russian coast, even in the gulf of Peter the Great, between the island of Askold and the shore, in the gulfs of Patience and of Aniva, off the coast of Cape Aniva, and had engaged at that place in whaling, all of which I judge from the signs upon the chart I learned from the captain that in these waters the bark Morgan, belonging to the same party, and the schooner Mary H. Thomas were engaged in whaling. The bark Morgan not succeeding in her effort in these parts had gone to the north coast of the peninsula of Kamchatka, and had proposed to the captain of the Cape Horn Pigeon to accompany her, but the latter had refused. The captain declared that to the north of the sea of Okhotsk, in the bays, were two English steamers, the Northless and the Norwall, and the American brig Hidalgo, engaged in whaling. Taking into consideration all the preceding and having weighed all of the circumstances for and against, I concluded to conduct the said bark to Vladivostok, in order that the matter might be carefully investigated whether or not the industry in which she engaged and her sojourn in our waters was legitimate. For this purpose I required the bark’s crew to board the schooner Maria, with the exception of the captain, the steward, and a small boy in the captain’s service. The first mate, William Jong, was named in the capacity of captain of the schooner, to whom the order was given to conduct her to Vladivostok.
I, with Ensign Simansky and all of my crew, composed of twelve men, went aboard the bark. The whole affair was accomplished at half past 9 in the morning, and at 10 o’clock in the morning of August 29 the bark and the schooner filled away [Page 293] toward the Strait of Laperouse. The schooner soon disappeared in the fog. Astern was another schooner, which also soon disappeared. At half past 7 in the evening a brisk wind, SSE., arose. As the bark had no balast I brailed up sails. The vessel leaned to greatly; it was evident she oscillated greatly. The first day the crew was occupied cleaning the quarters, which were in very bad condition. At night the wind changed from SSE. to NW. I continued in the same direction and sighted the summits of Cape Aniva; in the morning I augmented sail. At noon, August 30 (11th September), I stood in 46° 18′5 latitude north and 144° 14′ longitude east. In the evening, the wind becoming brisk, I diminished sail. At 7.40 in the evening I sighted Cape Aniva, 2 miles distant. The night of August 311 was in the Strait of Laperouse. Heavy fog; course WSW. ½ W.; now and again two lights were seen to starboard and port. Wishing to avoid danger, I sailed to SW.; having made 10 miles in that direction, I turned WNW. At 7 a.m. I sighted the light-house of Soiou.
At 8 a.m., having doubled Soiou, I took the course 10 miles to the north of Rebouksiri. At 2 p.m. I sailed toward Cape Nizmenny. Throughout this time a steady wind was blowing from NE.; speed from 5 to 8 knots. At noon September 1 (13) there were no astronomical observations taken. The wind had changed to NW. and toward evening began to freshen. I diminished sail. The wind abated about morning; I augmented sail. At noon September 2 (14) I made 42° 25′ latitude north and 136° 48′ longitude east. I had been carried southward. I had steered west as much as a NNW. wind permitted. Wind feeble; speed 3 knots.
At noon September 3 (15) I made observation 42° 13′ north latitude, 135° 48′ east longitude. After midday I sailed to NW., nearer to shore, hoping to profit of the coast wind. On the morning of September 4 (16) I sighted the coast. At 9 a.m. I tacked. At noon I ascertained 42° 59′ latitude north and 135° 61′ longitude east. From Cape Krasny to the southeast for 23 miles. Wind W/5. I went about. The bark tacks well without losing headway. We lost much time while tacking, on account of the unskillfulness of the men at the helm. On September 5 (17) I tacked opposite the shore to WSW. At 8 o’clock I had favorable wind and sailed westward. At 6 o’clock I took my bearings; island of Petrow at No. 1, 40 to 13½ miles. At 9.50 p.m. I sighted a revolving light, which soon disappeared in the fog. During the night of September 6 (18) I continued my course westward. In the morning contrary wind from WNW. I sailed northward. At noon of 6th (18) 42° 17′ latitude north and 133° 0′ 6″ longitude east. At 2.45, nearing the shore, I tacked to westward. When it grew dark the Askold light could no longer be seen, in spite of the short distance. The night of the 7th (19th) off Askold, dead calm, the lights were not visible. At 7 o’clock a northwest wind prevailed. I sailed in a northwesterly direction, advancing on the light-house of Skryplew. At 10.30 the schooner Vancouver Belle came to meet me. I signaled (B. L. M.) asking that steam launches be sent to tow me.
At 3 o’clock I entered Vladivostok and cast starboard anchor.
During the entire passage both crews behaved well. The schooner’s crew was divided into three watches, the bark’s into two; 5 men in each. Knowing the fatigue of two watches, I endeavored to give the men as much free time as possible and to avoid superfluous work. They were often obliged to pump the water from the hold, for during the day it accumulated to a depth of from 10 to 20 inches. It is very evident that somewhere about the bark there is a leak.
The health of the crew was excellent throughout the passage. No one applied to me for medical assistance.