130 THE FUR SEALS OF THE FEIBILOF ISLANDS. 



At the eud of the griissy plain the course drops down over a short knlge of rocks, 

 some 3 feet in height, to a bowlder-covered area of about 200 yards in extent. This 

 area at first level falls in a gentle slope at the end to the level of Zoltui sands. The 

 bowlders are large, smooth, and Hat, and the interspnces are tilled with lava sand. 



Along the -iOO yards of level sand beach is the hardest part of the drive. The 

 seals slip and sink in the loose sand. They do not mind the rocky and grass-grown 

 areas, but the sand worries them. This sandy area leads by a narrow passage, lined 

 on either side by sand dunes, to the grassy plain between East Landing and the little 

 pond at the foot of the village. This is the village killing ground. 



THE LENGTH OF THE DRIVE. 



The total length of Keef drive as paced off is about 5,031 feet. Its greatest 

 elevation is not over 7o feet, and the slopes are very gentle. The drive is usually 

 made in about two hours. In the preceding pages is given a detailed account of a 

 drive over this course witnessed on -July 15. 



On none of the other drives of Prihilof Islands are there rocky areas such as 

 those described on the Keef. On Tolstoi and Middle Hill are short stretches of sand, 

 but they are of limited extent. With these exceptions, the driveways on St. Paul 

 are comparatively level and grassy throughout. The same is true for the long drives 

 of St. Oeorge. 



COMPARISON OF DRIVES. 



It is only necessary to contrast this drive from Keef, the longest and hardest on 

 St. Paul Island, though less than a mile in length, with the 12 miles which the seals 

 were forced to travel from Northeast I'oint in IJussian times, or with the ."> and miles 

 of travel from Zai^adni and I'olovina of St. Paul, and Zapadni of St. George. That 

 no injury resulted to the seals from these early drives is clear from the condition in 

 which the herd was when it came into the possession of the United States. 



THE COMMANDER DRIVEWAYS. 



To appreciate the ease of the Pribilof Islands drives it is only necessary to 

 contrast them with those of the Commander Islands. The following description of 

 the driveways of Medni Island is (luoted from Dr. Jordan's record in the Journal for 

 August 25, 189(i : 



Xapadv) (Iririwai/.— 'L'he drive from Zapailni goes up t'roui the stony bciich between two towers of 

 rocks, climliiug the gorge of a little brook wliich cuts iuto the bowlders imd clay of the hillside, an 

 excessively li;nd, rough little gully, very diftieult for a niau to climb, there being small cascadi'S and 

 wet clay in its cour.se. The way is marked by road sl<eletons. After an ascent over ground of this sort 

 for IWO or 400 feet, more or less, the drive goes up tbrougli steep, grassy slojies. some of them of soft 

 clay, somewhat cut iuto rough steps by men's boots. The general character of the ground is unre- 

 lieved, althongh more or less broken l)y cross gullies and rulges. The final ridge is TtiO feet above the 

 sea. On the Oliuka side is a long slope, at tirst f|nite steep, everywhere gra.ssy, and rather easy, but 

 marked with road skeletons, as it is very long. Tlie rye grass grows rather longer below, and a little 

 stream has deep depressions, which serve as ileath traps, as the skeletons show, when the seals fail 

 in piles one over another. Above Glinka is a steep slide of yellow clay, from which the village is said 

 to have received its name. This slide must be a hard place for the seals. The seals (few in number) 

 that arc released because too young or too old are allowed to go down to the sea, wlience they .go back 

 to the west again. 



