256 THE SEALS. 



fur and spoils the skin. The drivers now "run" to bring- up the next 

 ''pod," the stabber thrusts his knife to the heart of the stunned animals 

 and the nippers follow as soon as the seals arc dead, t<> cut the skin 

 around the head just in front of the ears, around the posterior extrem- 

 ity between the body and hind flippers, around the two lore flippers 

 and down the median line of the belly. Next he is taken in hand by 

 the skinner, who quickly Hays him with dexterous strokes of his long, 

 keen-edged knife, leaving a considerable layer of blubber upon the skin 

 to prevent its hardening and drying in the salting process. When 

 it is desired to save the blubber ;is well as the skin, both are removed 

 from the carcass together and flayed apart with skillful strokes of the 

 knife. 



The seal-killing is done in a very orderly, systematic manner, and the 

 attendant waste is surprisingly small when done with skilled labor. 

 L'arcly an undesirable seal is hit by a clubber, and occasionally the sun 

 will shine out unexpectedly and so heat the skins before they can be 

 removed, as to loosen the fur and cause it to pull out, but the entire loss 

 under judicious management amounts to only a tew score of skins in a 

 hundred thousand. An experienced forceof 22 men can easily slaughter 

 and properly cure the skins of an average of 1,500 seals per day through 

 the season. 



When the skin has been removed from the carcass it is thrown, flesh 

 side down, upon the damp ground, and as soon thereafter as convenient 

 hauled to the salt house, where each one is examined and counted, in 

 the presence of the native chief, by the Treasury agent and the assist- 

 ant superintendent, in order to determine when the number allowed by 

 law has been taken and to form the basis for payment to the natives 

 for their work. 



Arrived at the killing grounds, the seals are driven (tut from the main 

 body in u pods" of twenty or thirty at a time, and 



L. A. Noyes, p. 82. experienced men club and kill the desirable ones, 



and allow all that remain to return at their leisure 



to the adjacent waters. The most experienced men do the skinning, 



and after them come the women and children who carry off the carcasses 



for food, and the fat or blabber for winter fuel. 



In accordance with instructions from the Department, the Treasury 

 agent is always present at the killings, and he has full power and au- 

 thority to interfere in all cases where there is cruelty practiced or 

 attempted. 



All seals killed by the lessees for skins are killed between June 1, 

 and duly 30, and generally the season closes on the 20th of July. 



SALTING and kenciiing. 



Page 163 of The Case. 



In the early days of the sealing industry it was alw r ays customary to 



dry the skins for market by stretching them upon 



E. H. Nclntyre, p. 57. the ground by meansof wooden pinsdriven through 



their edges or by the use of stakes and twine. 



But this process made the skin difficult to unhair in dressing, and, 



moreover, in the very damp climate of Alaska, it was often impossible 



to dry the skins thoroughly enough to prevent their decaying en route 



to market. Large numbers of skins were lost, I am informed, in this 



way, even after artificial heat was resorted to for drying them, and it 



was found most profitable to salt them and slap them in salt to market. 



