3^8 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



cire\y ?he vi^gt ?^'''*'''^ ^""^ ^""^^"^ '^ ^^''' *^ *^" ^^"^^^ ^^^^^^^^ 



PROGRESSION OF A SEAL DRIVE. 



A drove of seals on bard or firm, grassy ground, in cool and moist 

 weather, may be driven with safety, at the rate of half a mile an hoTr 

 They can be urged along, with the expenditure of a great many lives' 

 however at the speed of a mile or a mile and a quarter per hour but 

 this IS seldom done. An old bull seal, fat and unwieldy, can not travel 

 with the younger ones, though it can lope or gallop as it starts across 

 the ground as fast as an ordinary man can run over 100 yards but 



'^T^lI^lLltr't^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^"P-^' -^-^^^ -^'-ted, CI: 



<. J^^''''"^?''^'''^'?.^'"^ ''""^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ Pa<^^ leading to the kiUing 

 grounds w.th very little trouble, and require only three or four men tf 

 guide and secure as many thousands at a time. They are permitted fre 

 quently to halt and cool off, as heating them injures their fur These seal 

 halts on the road always impressed me with a species of sentimeSalIsm 

 and regard for the creatures themselves. The men drop W S C 

 a few moments : the awkward shambling and scuffling of the march at 

 fW^r^-^"^ *^^ ?"?^^ «*^P '^ their tracks to fan themselves with 

 pt n^^'lundr'ir^^^' their heaving flanks giye rise to subdued, 



rShTnd^eto^^^^^^^^^ 



season. This theorrseemed^r.fionnl J, «^*«^*/gain thereon during the rest of the 

 gations, and I ^rLt d^spoSd trauestiof ^* *^" beginning of my investi- 



tion directed to this point CrtionlaX Li fii ^^^^''a^/; ^ut, subsequent observa- 

 Iwhomlwas assoSed tbif +lT ^^ *'f^.^'^ me, and the sealers themselves with 

 the hauling ^hich took i^wi«n "?^ ""^ ^^^ ""^^^ ^^^^ "« «ff«ct whatever upon 

 cleanofseals'vttedrte? "for^^^^^^^^ t^« field, had been sw?p? 



i. e., cool, moist, and foggy; the fresh WiJo-^ofZ''?^^^ was favorable forianding, 

 bare grounds again in I very short 8Daceo?fi^.cj^''"."'^ T"^*^ *^«^er the 



the driving of everv seal from ynuJ^Jt i ^^1 Sometimes m a few hours after 

 dunes and'the bea^h fn .ue^Won^^^^^^^^ *^ ^^^ ^'^^'"'S fields adjacent, those 



however, the weather is?rnormal7v w4m anTl'^^^^^ T^^ "^'^^ ^'"'^ ^^^'^^^^ ^^' 

 for several consecutive days, no se4^o s^enk nf ^1^'."^"^'°^;^" prevalence, even ,f 

 Indeed, if these holluschij^k e had not he^p?^.f ' ^'^^ l^aulouton the emptied space, 

 other hauling ground on tht fsland, wL^' ta^o^'J^.f^^^ ^^'^ ^^^ Zoltoi o^ any 



seals would have vacated their terrestfal SS^ plir/o^t^cS^^^^^^^ 



18 very great; because, when not understoorf ft w ' P/^^i^^d the weather is inviting, 

 the season of'lSp, to "rest"?hrhll ?g'^'^ S^^eTtt^^^^ \^^f «'^^ 



the driving has been made since), and make trins to f.r o 'if^*' ^f'''''^ ^^'^^ all 

 Zapadnie-an unnecessary expenditure of hum Ttl^/'^r^y Polavina and distant 

 physical misery upon phoWbS aid flippTrf'^" ^ causeless infliction of 



