THE PALATA DRIVEWAY. 131 



Palata driveivay. The drive from Palata is iiow rarely made, as the seals have grown, so few. 

 They are killed all along the beach, and the myriads of flies about the decaying carcasses must be the 

 source of great annoyance to the breeding seals. The drive ascends from the parade ground on the 

 top of the landslide. This was formerly occupied by bachelors, but there are no separate droves of 

 bachelors now. They are scattered in little clumps about and betweeu the rookeries. The drive then 

 for about 100 feet ascends a grassy cliff so steep that steps have been dug in it to facilitate climbing. 

 Then follows some 700 feet of irregular but very steep slope, in which the easiest depressions are 

 sought, though the hill is everywhere about as steep as a man can climb, and one who goes up it must 

 cling to the grass. Above this slope the drive reaches the back of the knife-like ridge that separates 

 Palata from Zapalata. This widens out into an easy, level plateau for about 20 rods, marked with 

 road skeletons. The elevation is about 850 feet by Dr. Stejneger's map. Then follows a steep climb 

 up gravel and clay, with scanty grass and heather, worn into steps, the driveway bounded on the 

 southwest by a slanting precipice that lies above Sabatcha Dira. A steep shoulder of heather and 

 small plants is followed by a final climb into the clouds to the summit of the pass, 1,220 feet above 

 the sea. From the summit an abrupt descent leads down a distance of about 500 feet by a zigzag 

 trail as steep as a horse could pass over, strewn with gravel and covered with low flowers, to the bed 

 of a swift little brook. This stream flows down into a grassy basin, the slopes becoming less and less 

 steep, the rye grass and putchki growing taller. At the junction of this stream, flowing into the little 

 brook from the west, the drive merges into the one from Zapadni. The drive from Palata is not in 

 any place so difficult as the gully just above Zapadni, but it is half higher and twice as long, a trip 

 one could not take on horseback, nor would it be easy to lead a horse over it. Comparing it with 

 conditions on St. Paul, the Palata Pass is as steep as the cone of Bogoslof, twice as high, and is 

 without water. Compared with the severest drive on St. Paul, it would stand as the ascent of Mount 

 Blanc to a walk in the park. It is a very fatiguing trip for a man. It took me, walking rapidly, 

 thirty -eight minutes (deducting stops) from Palata to the grassy level, 860 feet; thence twenty -eight 

 minutes to the top, 1,220 feet; fifteen minutes down the upper slope, and fifteen more to Glinka. 



NO EVIL RESULTS FROM THESE DRIVES. 



Arid yet, notwithstanding the severity of the drives of the Commander Islands, 

 no harm has resulted to the breeding herds of these islands which can be traced to 

 this cause. 



CARE EXERCISED IN DRIVING. 



Many drives were witnessed during the past two summers on St. Paul Island. 

 In connection with none of them was seen warrant for the harrowing tales of animals 

 dying of exhaustion and fright by the wayside or smothering under the feet of 

 their terrified companions. In the drive of July 15, numbering 1,500 seals, from the 

 Reef not a seal fell by the way or showed signs of dangerous exhaustion. Many 

 were plainly fatigued by the journey, and when allowed to rest sprawled out panting 

 on the ground. But after resting, when the drive was ready to move on, they were 

 ready and able to go with it. 



THE FUR SEAL NOT ILL ADAPTED TO LAND TRAVEL. 



The fur seal's only difficulty in land traveling is the inconvenience occasioned by 

 its thick blanket of blubber. In the water and in a moist cool atmosphere this does 

 not trouble it. But under the action of dry hot air it experiences great difficulty in 

 making the least exertion. Combined with all this is the fact that the great oar-like 

 feet of the seal make it clumsy, and undoubtedly its muscles become tired quickly 

 under the unwonted exercise of walking instead of swimming. 



When a seal becomes exhausted and is unable to continue the journey it is killed 

 on the spot. This is not because the animal is necessarily permanently injured. If 



