266 EUMETOPIAS STELLERI STELLER'S SEA LION. 



iaminov,* differs entirely from the above, for by it 



almost as many fur-seals were taken on Saint George, during 

 the first years of occupation, as on Saint Paul, and never have 

 been less than one- sixth of the number on the larger island. 

 .... I am strongly inclined to believe that the island of Saint 

 George never was resorted to in any great numbers by the fur- 

 seal, and that the sea-lion was the dominant animal there untU 

 disturbed and driven from its breeding-grounds by the people, 

 who sought to encourage the coming of its more valuable rela- 

 tive by so doing, and making room in this way for it. 



" The sea-lion has but little value save to the natives, and is 

 more prized on account of its flesh and skin, by the people liv- 

 ing upon the islands and similar positions, than it would be 

 elsewhere. The matter of its preservation and perpetuation 

 should be left entirely to them, and it will be well looked after. 

 It is singular that the fat of the sea-lion should be so different 

 in characters of taste and smell from that of the fur-seal, being 

 free from any taint of disagreeable flavor or odor, while the 

 blubber of the latter, although so closely related, is most repug- 

 nant. The flesh of the sea-lion cub is tender, juicy, light-col- 

 ored, and slightly like veal ; in my opinion, quite good. As the 

 animal grows older, the meat is dry, tough, and without flavor." t 



Captain Scammon gives a few particulars respecting the 

 "drive," not especially referred to by Mr. Elliott. "This 

 'drive,'" he says, ''to the good-natured Aleuts, is what the 

 buffalo hunt has been to the red-skins on the plains of the 

 Platte, or matanza-time with the old Californians, for the party 

 starts out as on a sporting foray, and at night they stealthily 

 get between the herd of Sea Lions and the water ; then, with 

 professional strategy, they manage to ' cut out ' six or eight of 

 the largest at a time, and drive them a short distance inland, 

 where they are guarded until a band of two or three hundred 

 are assembled. Formerly the implement used in driving was a 

 pole with a small flag at the end ; but, since our adopted coun- 

 try-folk have become Americanized, that Yankee production, a 

 cotton umbrella, has been substituted, and it is said that any 

 refractory siutch in the 'drive' is instantly subdued by the sud- 

 den expansion and contraction of an umbrella in the hands of 

 a pursuing native. 



" To collect the desired number for the yearly supply involves 



"*Zapee8kie ob Ostrovah Oonahlashkenskaho Otdayla, St. Petersburg, 

 1840." 

 t Report upon Condition of Affairs in Alaska, pp. 152-159. 



