PROTECTION OF FEMALES. 225 



All cows killed on the seal islands are killed accidentally, and it oc- 

 curs so seldom that I do not think there has been 

 to exceed 100 since I came to the island in 1800. j n o. Fratis,p. 108. 

 So carefully lias this been guarded that when we 



used to be allowed to kill pup seals in November we had to examine and 

 separate the sex»-s and kill none but males. 



Under no circumstances is it allowable to kill a T . ^ , 

 female of any ago. Loms Kemmel > *• m ' 



When the cows first come to the islands they go on the breeding 

 rookeries and remain there through June and July, 



excepting while they go out to sea to feed, and j a c. Kotchooten, p. 131. 

 this is why very few cows are ever found in the 



drives made in those two months while we are killing for skins. In 

 August the families are broken up on the rookeries and the cows scat- 

 ter and mix up with the young males, and when we drive for food there 

 are a few cows i:, every drive, but as it is unlawful to kill a cow seal on 

 the islands w r e a e careful that none is killed. 



Our people are very careful about that, and if one is killed by acci- 

 dent they do not like it, and the chiefs report us to the Government 

 officer. 



Every native knows a female seal at sight, and, as the law against 

 killing a female is strict and so rigidly enforced, 

 and as the clubbers are the most experienced Aggei Kushen, p. 129. 

 and most careful men on the island, it is very sel- 

 dom that any female seal is clubbed. Our people have great respect 

 for law and are always ready to obey any rules laid down by the proper 

 authority, and they have been raised in the firm belief that it is wrong 

 to kill a cow seal. No one knows better than the natives that our 

 prosperity is in the protection of the seals. They are our food supply, 

 and our earnings from taking the skins enable us to live comfortably. 

 Should the company desire us to kill female seals every native in the 

 village would be interested in having the Government officer know it. 

 The instructions we have always received from the company was to be 

 careful in driving and to never kill a female seal. 



During the month of August the families break up and the seals 

 scatter around, and some of the cows mingle with the young males 

 and are driven along with them when we make a drive for food, and 

 sometimes one or two are killed accidentally. It is so seldom that 

 this occurs, I do not think that there has been more than about ten 

 cows per year killed on St. Paul Island since 1870. 



The skins taken from seals killed for food are salted and counted to 

 the lessees on the quota of the following year, so that nothing may be 

 wasted. When we were allowed to kill pups in November for food 

 ami clothing, we always picked out the males, because we were not 

 allowed to kill female pups, and now we are not allowed to kill any 

 pups at all. 



Very few cows get into a drive before the middle of August. 



Later in the season, when we are driving seals for food, a few cows 

 get into the drives, but Ave are careful that they 



do not get hurt; we all know it is forbidden to kill Nicoli Erukoff, p. 133. 

 a female seal at any time, and we do not want to 

 have them killed and none are killed except by accident. 



15 b s 



