THE SEALS. 149 



rookeries were my personal proi^erty I should Control and do- 



i J- ^ mesticiiitou. 



regard the task of branding all the young as no 

 more difficult or onerous than the branding of 

 all my calves if I were engaged in breeding 

 cattle upon the prairies."^ The foregoing state- 

 ment as to the possibility of branding the young 

 seals is supported by others equally experienced 

 in seal life in the islands.^ Dr. Mclntyre, so 

 long experienced in the handling of seals, says 

 that "they are as controllable and amenable to 

 good management upon the islands as sheep and 

 cattle,"^ and several other witnesses make like 

 affirmations.* Chief Anton Melovedoff, already 

 mentioned, states that "it is usually supposed 

 tliat seals are like wild animals. That is not so. 

 They are used to the natives and will not run 

 from them. The little pups will come to them, 

 and even in the fall, when they are older, we 

 can take them up in our hands and see whether 

 they are males or females. We can drive the 

 seals about in little or large bands just as we 

 want them to go, and they are easy to manage."^ 



1 Vol. II, p. 159. 



2 Charles Bryant, Vol. II, p. 5; S. M. Washburn, Vol. II, p. 15G; 

 H. V. Fletcher, Vol. II, p. 105; George H. Temple, Vol. II, p. 153. 



3 Vol. II, p. 53. 



"J. M. Morton, Vol. II, p. 69; Leon Sloss, Vol. II, p. 91; H. V. 

 Fletcher, Vol. II, p. 106; George H. Temple, Vol. II, p. 1.53; Gus- 

 tave Niebaum, Vol. II, p. 77; John Armstrong, Vol. II, p. 2. 



6 Vol. II, p. 145. 



