ALASKA. 135 



cows to one bull on tlio rookery, but I tliink it will be nearly 

 correct to assign to eaeli male from twelve to fifteen leniales, 

 oecup^iiig- the stations nearest the water, and those back in the 

 rear from live to nine. 1 have counted forty-live cows all under 

 the ehari;e of one bull, which had them penned up on ii Hat table- 

 rock, near Kcctavie Point; the bull was enabled to do this quite 

 easily, as there was but one way to f;o to or come from this 

 seraglio, and ou this path the old Turk took his stand and 

 guarded it well. 



At the rear of all these rookeries there. is always a large num- 

 ber of able-bodied bulls, ^vho wait patiently, but in vain, for 

 families, most of them having had to fight as desperately for 

 the iniviJege of being there as any of their more fortunately- 

 located neighbors, who are nearer the water than themselves; 

 but the cows do not like to be in any outside position, where 

 they are not in close company, lying most quiet and content in 

 the largest harems, and these large families pack the surfa(!e of 

 the ground so thickly, that there is hardly moving or turning 

 room until the females cease to come np from the sea; but the 

 inaction on the part of the bulls in the rear during the rutting- 

 seasou only serves to qualify them to move into the places 

 vacated by those males who are obliged to leave from exhaus- 

 tion, and to take the positions of jealous and fearless protectors 

 for the young pups in the fall. 



The courage with which the fur-seal hohls his position, as 

 the head and guardian of a family, is of the very highest order, 

 compared with that of other animals. I have repeatedly tried 

 to drive them when they have fairly established themselves, 

 and have almost always failed, using every stone at my com- 

 mand, making all the noise I could, and, tinally, to put their 

 courage to the full test, 1 w^alked up to within 20 feet of a bull 

 at the rear and extreme end of Tolstoi Eookery, who had four 

 cows in charge, and commenced with my double-barreled 

 breech-loading shot-guu to pepper him all over with mustard- 

 seed or dust shot. Ilis bearing, in spite of the noise, smell of 

 l)Owder, and pain, did not change in the least from the usual 

 attitude of determined defense which nearly all the bulls as- 

 sume when attacked with showers of stones and noise; he 

 ^vould dart out right and left and catch the cows, which tim- 

 idly attempted to run after each report, and lling and drag 

 them back to their places; then, stretching up to his full height, 

 look me directly and defiantly in the face, roaring and spitting 



