FUR AIDERS' BOOTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12740, 17 December 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

FUR AIDERS' BOOTY.

OVER £200,000 WORTH: OF SKINS FOR LONDON. i

Hakodate, Japan, September 25.—Deeply laden and with their ' scuppers awash, the schooners that left Hakodate and o-ther ports in Northern Japan .last May and June are now returning from their raid on the Russian fishing stations in Kamschatka and the seal and' sea-otter rookeries on -the islands in the Okhotsk Sea and the Commander Islands.

•The intended Japanese attack :on these rich breeding grounds, which are chiefly" the property of the Russian Crown, was known some time ago. There has been fierce fighting, a few of the:■' vessels have been captured by the Russians, but most of the ships have been successful, and are row landing their valuable cargoes. - • The furs have been carefully packed and sent to London, where the quantity that will be offered for sale this year will be larger than for many years past, and also for; many years to come, for the rookeries have been practically destroyed 'by the raiding .vessels; : and after this year sealskins will rank among other rare* furs, and will be extremely hard. to obtain." , Three of the vessels which raided Kanisckatka were attacked by about 100 Russians, and captured after a three days' fight, hall of the crews being killed and the remainder made prisoners.' Seven other ship? manned by over 250 men hud better luck. They were also attacked by the Russians, who were dispersed after a fierce engagement, in which about fifty men were killed. - " :: : The crews of seven vessels landed on Robben Island, south-east of Saghalien, and, finding it unprotected, secured over 10,000 sealskins., '.; On Copper Island the Japanese and Mexican raiders were assailed by Russians and natives and driven off, a dozen- being killed and three captured, who '.•.were afterwards shot.. Fourteen Russians were slain.. On August 10 the British warship Algerine arrived off the islands and warned all the vessels found there that no hunting would be permitted inside the three-mile limit. The presence of the ship also frustrated an attempt that was to have been made oh the warehouse of the Kamschatka Commercial Industry Company at Petropaulovski, where skins to the value of £300,000 were stored. • A moderate estimate of the value of the fish and furs taken.' by the raiders is about. £289,000, while the actual damage inflicted amounts.to millions.