224 THE SEALS. 



As chief it is my duty to see that the rookeries are not troubled by 

 anyone, to teach my people to obey the law and 



Karp Buterin, p. 103. my young men how to drive seals to the killing' 

 grounds without injuring them. I know, and all 

 my people know, that the Government told us we must not kill cows, 

 and we never kill them. 



The company agent says to me: "Karp, be careful that no cows are 

 killed." I know, and we all know, if we kill rows the seals soon die 

 out and we would not have meat to eat; and if anyone told me to kill 

 cows I would say "No." If I or any of my peoiile knew of anyone 

 killing a cow we would go and tell the Government officer. The Gov- 

 ernment officer told us that the Government did not like to have cows 

 killed, and that we should not kill any more pups because it was wast- 

 ing seals, and that the Government would give us plenty of other meat 

 instead of pup meat, and we all agree to that, and we have not killed 

 any pups since. And all my people will do everything the Government 

 wants them to do. If any of our men get bad and kill cows or pups or 

 do anything bad I punish them and I bring them before the Govern- 

 ment officer. 



Our priest tells us to obey the law and do everything the Govern- 

 ment asks us to do, and we are all pleased to do it. We all know that 

 the food and clothes we are getting has been given us by the Govern- 

 ment, because we are not killing any seals to earn money to buy things 

 for ourselves, and we know it is the Government sends us plenty coal 

 when we have no money to buy it. 



After the cows scatter in August they mix with the bachelors, and 



a few will be driven when we drive seals for food, 



Karp Buterin, p. 104. and sometimes one is killed by accident before the 



clubber knows it is a cow. If 1 knew that he killed 



it on purpose I would punish him; and if he did it again I would have 



him put off the island. 



S. N. Buynitskxj, p. 21. Under no circumstances is a female seal killed. 



A female seal w y as seldom driven, not more than two a season on St. 



George, and I think they were in all cases barren 

 Samuel Falconer, p, 162. cows, which had, because of their barrenness, 



hauled up with the bachelors. 



The killing season for skins takes place in June and July, and none 



but males are killed, and it is seldom that the 



C. /.. Fowler, p. 25. cows are ever in the drives at this time of the 



year. Should a cow happen to get into one of the 



drives she is carefully separated from the rest, and permitted to go to 



the water. Later in the season, when food drives are being made, and 



the harems are broken up, a small number of cows are in the drives, 



but none are killed unless by accident. The natives who make the 



drives are very particular on this point, and nothing offends them quicker 



than to have a female seal killed. They are very careful in handling 



the seals, and seem to fully appreciate the necessity of preserving the 



seals as well as the laws relating to that subject. 



We know a cow seal on sight, and when we find one on the killing 

 grounds we take care she is not injured. Very few cows get into the 

 drives before the middle of August, and then we are only driving and 

 killing a lew hundred a week tor food. 



