REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 181 



thus be driven iiiid redriven tliroii.cliout the entire killing season, if 

 they do not meanwhile snccnnib nnder the strain. 



710. Owing to tlie restriction imposed on the killing of seals in 1891, 

 we were ourselves able to witness the effect of two small drives only, 

 one on St. George, the other on St. Paul. Both these drives were made 

 from the grounds nearest to the village killing places, and were there- 

 fore short. The weather was favourably cool, and the actual driving 

 from the rookeries to the vicinity of the killing ground was accomplished 

 with all requisite care and deliberation, i^otwithstanding this, the seals 

 were in both cases evidently very much exhausted and completely wit- 

 less from fear. The animals let go from the killing grounds at St. George 

 set out, when released, in small groups towards the shore, not far off, 

 but from weakness were unable to go more than a few yards at a time; 

 while some of them, notwithstanding their terror, were unable to keep 

 up with the rest, and simply lay hel])less upon the ground. On draw- 

 ing tlie attention of one of the gentlemen superintending the killing to 

 this, be remarked that it was nothing unusual, that, in fact, they not 

 infrequently remained thus in the immediate vicinity of the killing 

 ground for several days before recovering. 



711. Much the same observations were maile in the case of a drive 

 on St. Paul Island, but it was noticed here that 100 or 200 of those set 

 free, after slowly making their way for 500 or (500 feet, remained in an 

 exhausted condition upon the grassy bank overlooking the northern 

 end of Zoltoi sands, and, on the evening of the following day, many of 

 them were still lying together at the same place without having made 

 any effort to reach the sea, which was not over 200 feet distant. 



712. Incidental proof of the disastrous effects of driving may be seen 

 along any of the routes ordinarily taken in the significant frequency of 

 skeletons and bones around each rough and rocky place that has to be 

 passed over in the course of the drive. It is of course difficult, if not 

 impossible, to say with certainty in individual cases, to what extent this 

 ordeal of driving may prove permanently detrimental to the animals 

 driven. It may, however, be worth noting that Veniaminov, as long 

 ago as 1842, quoted the natives as authority for the statement that the 

 seals thus spared "are truly of little use for breediug, lying about as if 

 outcasts or disfranchised." * 



713. Elliott, in his published summary of his investigation on the 

 islands in 1890, gives various reasons for arriving at a similar belief, and 

 sums these up as follow s : 



Therefore, it now appears plain to me that these young fur-seals which may happen 

 to survive this terrible strain of seven years of driving overland are rendered by this 

 act of driving wholly worthless for breeding purposes ; they never go to the breed- 

 ing grounds and take up stations there, being wholly demoralized in spirit and in 

 body. With this knowledge, then, the full effect of the driving becomes apparent, 

 and' that result of slowly but surely I'obbing the rookeries of a full and sustained 

 supply of fresh young male blood demanded by nature imperatively for their support 

 up to the standard of full expansion, t 



Captain Lavender, Assistant Treasury Agent, in his Report for the 

 same year, and speaking particularly of St. George Island, adopts a sim- 

 ilar view on the matter, saying: 



All the male seals driven should be killed, as it is my opinion that not over one- 

 half ever go back upon the rookeries again, t 



714. Mr. Elliott, in the publication which has just been quoted, further 



* Translation by Elliott in United States Census Report, p. 141. 

 t Parliamentary Paper [C— 6368], June 1891, p. 57. 

 t Ibid., p 21. 



