310 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



visited Ardiguen. Mr. Townsend photographed Polovina rookeries and Colonel 

 Murray counted harems. Mr. Townsend made a count of the cows under Polovina 

 cliffs. Dr. Jordan visited Lukanin in the afternoon. 



THE DEIVE FROM REEF HAULING GROUND. 



We left the village at 2 o'clock in the morning. It was then light enough to 

 make one's way without difficulty. After a few minutes' walk we reached Zoltoi 

 sands, a beach about one-fourth of a mile from the village, at the angle of which the 

 bachelors from Gorbatch rookery haul out to reach the rocky slope above. The 

 drivers ran in quickly between the seals and the sea and soon had the animals 

 rounded up in a large pod. From a similar hauling ground on the shore just across 

 the neck of the peninsula another pod was in like manner rounded up. The two pods 

 combined were left in charge of three men to be driven across the sands to the village 

 killing ground, a few hundred yards beyond. 



We then proceeded to the extreme point of the Reef peninsula. The hauling 

 ground of Reef rookery lies in the rear of the breeding ground and has four well- 

 marked runways connecting it with the sea, on which no harems are located. A line 

 of idle bulls keeps clear a considerable space between the hauling ground and the 

 rookery. From the head of the various runways and in the intervening space pods 

 of sleeping bachelors were rounded up, the Aleuts passing between the idle bulls and 

 the bachelors and turning the latter up the bank to the flat parade ground back of 

 the hauling ground. Here the pods were all united in one large group and the drive 

 started on its way. It was 3 o'clock when we reached the point and by 3.30 the 

 drive was in motion. 



After passing over a short space of ground, scattered at wide intervals with 

 irregular bowlders and having a gentle slope, the drive came into the level grassy 

 plain of the parade ground. Here the herd, which numbered about 1,500 bachelors, 

 was separated into two parts for greater ease and safety in driving. While one pod 

 was allowed to rest the other was driven slowly forward in the direction of the village. 

 Three men were now assigned to each pod and the rest of the drivers allowed to 

 return to the village to make ready for the killing. We followed the first herd. 



Over the green turf of the parade ground the drive moved along quietly and 

 without difficulty. The drivers took their positions one on each flank to repress 

 any lateral movements and the third brought up the rear. There was no noise or 

 confusion. In general the seals were allowed to take their own time and go at their 

 own pace. Those in the advance acted as leaders and the rest of the flock followed 

 naturally after them. At the beginning the seals showed some reluctance in leaving 

 their hauling grounds and made ineffectual attempts to break away. But after the 

 drive got under way they moved forward apparently as a matter of course. When 

 the leaders showed an inclination to take a wrong course the men on the flank simply 

 stood up and raised a hand, which was sufficient to turn them back into the way. 

 For the most part the men kept out of sight of the seals. 



The seals on the drive do not keep up a continuous motion. They take ten or a 

 do/en steps and then sit down like dogs to rest and pant, resuming their way when 

 they find that their companions have gone on. The leaders set the example, and 

 as they are rested by the time the rear members of the herd have come to a stand- 

 still, they move on and are ready to stop by the time the rear guard have started. 



