EXHIBIT IV.
Report of Lieutenant Lebedew to the Commander of the Screw Ship Aleout, dated July 23, 1891, No. 42.
In addition to my report of July 22 (No. 41), I now report to you that while towing the James Hamilton Lewis from the island of Medny to Bering Island the schooner was by me searched in detail. There were found aboard of her guns underneath the mattresses. A pocket revolver was taken from the cook; in the galley were found two small seal skins hanging on nails in the partition to dry; in the forehold, under the trap, ten or more large tin boxes containing gunpowder; in the hold to starboard of traps were wooden boxes filled with large shot and cartridges, and similar cartridges and shots were found under the bunks and beds in the after cabin.
Under a platform and under the mess table were cases filled with cartridges of larger caliber, charged with shrapnel; other boxes contained cartridge shells which had not been filled. There was also a large bag net, quite new, worth $600, as said the American sailors who remained aboard the schooner; this bag net was used for catching sea otters.
During the inspection of the main hold by the quartermaster, Lestchew, it was found upon scattering the salt piled on the floor that seal skins had been packed therein. Being convinced that among the sacks containing salt one had been hastily filled with seal skins, I ordered that all be left intact until the examination by the commission; that is to say, until the arrival in the village of Nikolsky, on Bering Island.