236 THE SEALS. 



All the drives are under the care of the chief, and my men never 



drive too fast. No drive on St. Paul Island longer 



Karp Buterin, p. 104. t]|jni L , m ji eSi We neve r make more than two 



drives from the same rookery in one week. * * * 



Xo seals are injured by driving, for we drive very slow and only 

 when the weather is cool. Once in awhile one may be smothreed and 

 we skin it and count the skin along with the others. 



In a "drive" the natives drive the seals from the hauling grounds a 

 little way, separate the young killable males, and 

 S. N. Buyniislcy,p. 21. allow the remainder to return to the water or the 

 hauling grounds. Then these young males so se- 

 lected arc driven to the killing grounds and there dispatched with clubs. 

 During the entire time I was on the islands I never saw a single seal 

 killed by overdriving. 



The driving of the male seals to the killing grounds was done very 

 carefully. If the weather was warm or dry they 

 H. X. ci<n-k, p. V we re allowed frequent opportunity to rest. I am 

 sure the driving did not hurt them in the least. 



Under the direction of Mr. Redpath on St. Paul, and Mr. Webster 



(»i St. George islands, men who have superin- 

 W. C. Coulson, p.iU. tended this work for many years, the natives do 



the driving, and the killing is performed under 

 the supervision of the Government agents. The natives understand 

 just how much fatigue can be endured by the seals, and the kind of 

 weather suitable for driving and killing; no greater precaution in that 

 regard can be taken. The evidence of this is in the small percentage 

 of animals injured or overheated in these drives. I do not believe the 

 animals are much frightened or disturbed by the process of selecting 

 the drives from the rookeries, nor do I think it has a tendency to scare 

 the animals away from the islands. 



I have often observed the driving and killing of the seal on the is- 

 lands by the former lessees, the Alaska Commer- 

 M. C. ErsMne, p. 422. cial Company, and I know the company required 

 the seals to be handled with great care, and that 

 the instructions from the company were to that effect and rigidly en- 

 forced. 



While I was on the island I became familiar with the methods of 



driving and handling the bachelor seals pursued 



Saml. Falconer, p. 161. by the natives, who were the only persons who 



ever drove, handled, or killed these seals. I am 

 positive the methods ran not be improved upon. * * * 



The greatest rare was always taken not to overheat the seals in driv- 

 ing them, ami when a seal was by accident smothered the skin was re- 

 moved and counted in the number allowed to be taken by the lessees. 

 There were not, to the best of my recollection, twenty-live seals killed 

 during any one season on St. George by overdriving. 



Whenever the sun came out while a "drive" was in progress the 

 driving at once ceased, so great was the care taken not to overheat 

 the seals. 



