EXHIBIT III.
Report of Lieutenant Lebedew to the Commander of the Screw Schooner Aleout.
On the 21st of July, as we sailed in sight of the island of Medny, in obedience to your order, I left the ship commanded by you, and taking my place in a long boat at about 7 a.m., with Ensign Engmann, I advanced upon a schooner carrying the American flag, which lay to at a distance of about 3 cables’ length to leeward. Having covered about half the distance I read upon the stern of the schooner the name James Hamilton Lewis, San Francisco.
Approaching her from windward, I boarded her on the starboard side and ascended to the deck and put the following question: “Who is captain here? I must speak with him.” A man approached who said he was captain of the schooner. I next asked him if he was the ship’s owner, to which he replied in the negative, and designated as owner a certain Lewis or some such name. To my question, What was the schooner’s business, he replied; “Hunting and fishing” (hunting of sea birds). When I asked the number of men in the crew he at first replied 25, but when I required the captain to call all of his men on deck and asked him for his ship’s papers and the log book to verify the crew, he delivered his papers and informed me that his crew numbered 22, but that two had deserted and four had been lost in the fog while fishing off Sandy Point.
Having told the captain that I was sent by the commander of the Russian man-of-war to inspect his vessel, I left Ensign Engmann on the deck to watch the crew, and I with the captain descended to the hold; There I ordered the removal of the planks beneath which were casks of fresh water. Then I ordered a hand pump to be brought, and while the captain busied himself lifting the planks I put the pump in place and began to examine this place, and found there salt piled in sacks along the sides and a quantity loose upon the floor. There was also a tub containing reddened water covered with a red flannel shirt. Over all were noticeable signs of a hasty putting to rights and of washing.
To my question where they keep the fish they had caught, the captain answered that the cargo had already been transported to another schooner off the coast of Alaska, and that they had but this very day arrived in our waters. Pretending to be satisfied with these replies, I next inspected the quarters of the crew. These quarters were very narrow and communicated with the kitchen or galley by means of a window or slide through which dishes could be passed. I next inspected the cabin astern, containing eight beds, and bunks in which four more persons could easily sleep. At the end of the common cabin there was a door opening into the captain’s cabin; I did not enter there. Along the partitions near the bunks I saw eight guns of different models, and there also were wooden rods in greater number than the guns. Returning to the deck I examined the long boats; in one there was a box covered with a coarse red cloth containing ship’s biscuit and other edibles; in another were two bamboo rods with pointed ends and iron hooks. Having informed the captain that I must show his log book to my commander, I received it and left in the boat to return to the Aleout, where I made my verbal report of all I had seen and heard, and expressed the opinion that the arrested schooner was a poacher and not merely engaged in fishing and hunting. Having then received orders to return to the vessel with a quartermaster and five armed sailors to bring the captain and a portion of his crew aboard the Aleout, and to assume command of the schooner to conduct her whither you should order, I left in the rowboat. During this time the distance between the Aleout and the schooner had noticeably increased. Approaching the James Hamilton Lewis I ascended to the deck, boarding her on starboard side, and delivered your order to the captain. I received by way of answer that he could not leave his vessel at sea, and if my commander desired to speak with him he could come to him. This reply was received with marked approval by a portion of the crew: “Certainly; let him come to us if he wishes; we are beyond Russian waters,” etc.
During my interview with the captain one of his men seemed especially to sustain him; it proved to be the first mate; the latter passed back of me as if to seize me from behind; I turned suddenly upon him and informed him he would wait a long time for my commander to come aboard, and that the captain and crew would do well to comply at once with his orders. I had not finished speaking when the vessel filled away, leaning dangerously above our small boat, and sailed away. Then I returned in the ship’s boat to the Aleout to report to you.
On nearing the Aleout I called to you Fire upon them, they are rascals.” Scarcely hoping that you had heard me, I pointed to the flying vessel and fired my revolver [Page 304] in air. Approaching still nearer, I heard your order to follow in the ship’s boat, which I did, endeavoring to avoid any interference with your movements or your guns. I submit this my report of the preceding.