ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 63 



they have attained the age I indicate, their instinct drives them down 

 to the margin of the surf, wliere the alternate ebbing and flowing of 

 its wash covers and uncovers tlie rocky or sandy beaches. Tliey first 

 smell and then touch the moist pools, and flounder in the upj^er wash 

 of the surf, which leaves them suddenly as high and dry as it immersed 

 them at first. After this beginning they make slow and clumsy prog- 

 ress in learning the knack of swimming. For a week or two, when 

 overhead in depth, they continue to flounder about in the most awk- 

 ward manner, thrashing the water as little dogs do, with their fore 

 feet, making no attempt whatever to use the hinder ones. Look at 

 that pup now, launched out for the first time beyond his depth; see 

 how he struggles, his mouth wide open, and his eyes fairly j)opping. 

 He turns instantly to the beach, ere he has fairly struck out from 

 the point whence he launched in, and as the receding swell which at 

 first carried him off his feet and out, now returning, leaves him high 

 and dry, for a few minutes he seems so weary that he weakly crawls 

 up, out beyond its swift-returning wash, and coils himself up imme- 

 diately to take a recuperative nap. He sleeps a few minutes, perhaps 

 half an hour, then awakes as bright as a dollar, apparently rested, 

 and at his swimming lesson he goes again. By repeated and persist- 

 ent attempts the young seal gradually becomes familiar with the water 

 and acquainted with his own power over that element, which is to be 

 his real home and his whole support. Once boldly swimming, the pup 

 fairly revels in his new happiness. He and his brethren have now 

 begun to haul and swarm along the whole length of St. Paul coast, 

 from Northeast Point down and around to Zapadnie, lining the alter- 

 nating sand beaches and rocky shingle with their plump, black forms. 

 How they do delight in it! They play with a zest, and chatter like 

 our own children in the kindergartens — swimming in endless evolu- 

 tions, twisting, turning, or diving — and, when exhausted, drawing 

 their plump, round bodies up again on the beach. Shaking themselves 

 dry, as young dogs would do, they now either go to sleep on the spot 

 or have a lazy terrestrial frolic among themselves. 



How an erroneous impression ever got into the mind of any man in 

 this matter of the pup's learning to swim I confess that I am wholly 

 unable to imagine. I have not seen any "driving" of the young 

 pups into the water by the old ones in order to teach them this j^roc- 

 ess, as certain authors have positively affirmed.^ There is not the 

 slightest supervision by the old mother or father of the pup from the 

 first moment of his birth in this respect until he leaves for the North 

 Pacific, full fledged with amphibious power. At the close of the breed- 

 ing season every year the pups are restlessly and constantly shifting 

 back and forth over the rookery ground of their birth in large squads, 

 sometimes numbering thousands upon thousands. In the course of 

 this change of position they all sooner or later come in contact with the 

 sea; they then blunder into the water for the flrst time in a most awk- 

 ward, ungainly manner, and get out as quickly as they can ; but so far 

 from showing any fear or dislike of this, their most natural element, 

 as soon as they rest from their exertion they are immediately ready for 

 a new trial, and keep at it, provided the sea is not too.stormy or rough. 

 During all this period of self-tuition they seem thoroughly to enjoy 

 the exercise, in spite of their repeated and inevitable discomfitures at 

 the beginning. 



Podding of the pups. — The "podding" of these young pups in 

 the rear of the great rookeries of St. Paul is one of the most striking 



' Allen. History of North American Pinnipeds, p. 387, 



