A DRIVE FROM THE REEF. 117 



early morning the natives visit such hauling grounds as liave been selected, and, 

 surrounding tlie animals, drive them inland to the point where they may conveniently 

 be slaughtered. As illustrating this |)rocess of driving, we may (juote the following 

 record taken from the Held notes of the commission: 



THE DRIVE. 



The drive from Gorbatch mid Eeef rookeries thin moriiiug (July 15) was witnessed by Dr. .Ionian, 

 Pl'ofessor Tliompson, Dr. Stejneger, Mr. Lucas, and Mr. Clark. Captain Moser and Lieutenant (iarrett, 

 of tlie Albatross, were also present. Mr. Crowley, Treasury agent, eondueted tlie movements of the 

 visitors. Fifteen Aleuts made up the driving party. 



We left tlie village at 2 o'clock in tlie nioniing. It was tlieii light ciiougli to iiial<c one's way 

 without <liffieiilty. After a few, minutes' walk wo reacluMl Zoltoi samls, a beach alioiit one-fourth of 

 a mile from the village, at the angle of which the bachelors from Gorbatch rookery haul out to reach 

 th<' rocky slope above. The drivers ran in iiuiclvly lietsveen the seals and the sea and soon had the 

 animals louiiih'd up in a large pod. From a similar hauling ground ou tlie shore Ju.st across the neck 

 of the peninsula .'mother pod was in like manner rouiide<l up. The two poils combined were left in 

 charge of three men to be driven across the sands to the village killing gronnd a few hundred yards 

 beyond. 



We then proceeded to the extremi' point of the Reef peninsula. The hauling ground of Reef 

 rookery lies in the rear of the breedhig ground and has fimr well-marked runways connecting it with 

 the sea, on which no harems are located. A line of idle bulls keeps clear a considerable space Ijctween 

 the hauling ground and the rookery. From the head of the various runways and in the intervening 

 space pods of sleeping bachelors were rcmnded up, the Aleuts passing between the idle bulls and the 

 bachelors and turning the latter up the bank to the flat parade ground back of the hauling ground. 

 Here the pods were all united in one huge group and the drive started on its way. It was S o'clock 

 when we reached the point, and by 3.30 the drive was in motion. 



After passing over a short spaei> of ground, scatti-rcd at wi<lc intervals with irregular bowlders 

 anil having a gentle slope, the drive came into the h'vel gr.assy plain of the paraih' ground. Here the 

 herd, wliich uuiiibcrcd about 1,500 liachclors, was separated into two jiarts for greater ease and safety 

 in driving. While one pod was allowed to rest tlic other was driven slowly forward in the direction 

 of the vilhigc. Three men were now assigned to eaih pod, and the rest of the drivers allowed to 

 return to the village to make ready for the killing. We followed the first Iierd. 



Over the green turf of the parade gronnd the drive moved ahnig quietly and without difficulty. 

 The drivers took their iiositions one on each Hank to repress any lateral movements, and the third 

 lironght up the rear. There was no noise oi contusion. In general the seals were allowed to take 

 their own time and go .it their own pace. Those in the advance acted as leaders, and the rest of the 

 flock followed naturally after them. At the beginning the seals showed some reluctance in leaving 

 their hauling grounds, and made ineffectual attempts to break away. Hut after the drive was under 

 way they moved forward apparently as a matter of course. Wlieii the leaders showed an inclination 

 to take the wrong course the men on the ilaiilv siiniily stuod up and raised a hand, wliich was sufficient 

 to turn them back into the way. For the most part the men kept out of sight of the seals. 



The seals on the drive do not keep up a eontinnons motion. They take ten or a dozen steps aud 

 then sit down like dogs to rest aud pant, resuming their wav when they find that their companions 

 have gone ou. 'fhe leaders set the example, and as they are rested by the time the rear members of 

 tile herd have come to a standstill, they move ou aud are ready to stop by the time the rear guard 

 ha,ve started. The result is that some part of the herd is moving all the time and the iirogressiou is 

 continuous. 



There is a tcndeucv on the part of the young seals to go faster than the older ones, of which 

 a large number were included. By a gradual sifting process the old fellows fell to the rear, and on 

 several occasions pods of from a dozen to twenty were cut otf aud allowed to return to the sea. 



All the seals and especially the larger ones showed signs of fatigue. They appeared to be hot 

 and excited, and a cloud of steam rose constantly from the moving animals. This steam had a strong 

 musky smell. When the herd stopped, individual seals would often sprawl out on the grounil, r.aising 

 their hind tlipiiers and waving them fan-like evidently in an efi'ort to cool otf. After resting a 



