.n 



killivl. 10-2. 



Tin- work of killing was completed at 8'20 A.M. 



Tlu 1 iiu'ii employed were clean, skilful, and vigorous. A single blow, or two :it most, 

 dispatched each seal, and I saw no failure of aim, even in the contused mass of seals 

 tumbled pell-mell over one another. Though two killing (of 578 and 333 respectively) 

 had already taken place from this rookery this season, I saw no seal hearing marks of 

 previous injury. They showed no signs of terror; the survivois of each batch made 

 quickly for the water, and were already swimming homeward as the next batch were 

 being slain. Of the nineteen men, two drove down the batches of seals and two did 

 the work of killing ; two younger lads went round plunging a knife into the heart of any 

 seal thai still breathed, five (rippers) proceeded to slit the skins down the belly and 

 around the neck and paws, after which the rest flayed the carcases. The work of skinning 

 nearly kept pace with that, of killing. 



uld not detect in the whole process either intentional or accidental cruelty. 



Alter a short rest, we saw the skins placed in the salt-house, the tally taking place 

 under the eye of the Company's Agent and the Treasury Agent; 233 skins were tallied, 

 my loin. ei count having been only approximate in the hurry of the killing operations. 



Ki-ht skins wen- produced in addition, as those of seals killed in the preceding days 

 by the watchmen lor food. 



AYlu n I w; .tcbed the killing, after the drive already described from the Reef, it seemed 

 to me that if there was any difference at all between the operations on the two islands, 

 the men of St. George were perhaps the more skilful of the two. I noted that it seemed 

 to me that on St. Paul the animal- were hit more on the nose and less on the back of the 

 head, and that a second or a third blow was more often necessary. But though there 

 may have been a man here and there less skilful than another, the operation on the whole 

 \\as performed with very remarkable good order, dexterity, and speed; and, both in respect 

 to the driving and killing ou the two islands, 1 at least have no recommendations to 

 suggest for their improvement. 



1 afterwards aUendi -d a killing at Polavina, on the 23r<! July. The gang bere COD- 

 sisted of twenty-six men (five with clubs to kill) and four boys; 585 seals were killer], 

 and 344 released as \ oung, and :' ..Id. Two young Mftlfl were here accidentally 



injured ; of these one was killed a lew minutes afterwards, and the other was found dead in 

 the afternoon. Work was over by S'4."> A.M. The drive ben- i- a rather lo: th< 



killing-ground being fully a mile from the extreme part of the rookery, but the irrnund i- 

 level and easv ; the drive is lengthened in older to bring the killing-ground near to a small 

 lake, wheie the seals are cooled off. 



I afterwards witnessed the last killings of the season, save for a small number killed 

 later for food, on the 25th and 27th July. The proceedings call for no further remark 

 or description. 



The drive on the 2,~>th July was a lanse and comprehensive one, seals being hnni 

 from Lukannon, Ketavie, Zoltc.i Sand* and the Kei-f; on the 27th .Inly the chief drive 

 was fiotn Trlstoi and Middle Hil!, afterwards from Liikanron. Although Lukannon bad 

 been driven so recently, there were said to be a remarkable number of good first-class 

 skins in tb's final drive from that rookery. 



'II, i- drive completed the season's catch of 23,842 for St. Paul Island. About sixty 

 [313] ' 



