IN THE FAR WEST. 393 



Another fur animal that is hunted extensively by nearly all 

 the littoral Indians of the North Pacific Ocean is the fur seal, 

 and some of them at least find it a profitable business, judging 

 from the number of peltries to be seen in the markets of San 

 Francisco. The Russian-American Fur Company have the 

 monopoly of the trade in Alaska, hence the red men dwelling 1 

 south of that region do much better with the animal than 

 their northern kindred, as they can kill it wherever they find 

 it, whereas the latter cannot. 



An adult male seal has a length of about seven feet, and the 

 female of five feet. The former is polygamous, his harem 

 usually consisting of eight or ten of the opposite sex, and 

 more if he can get them, and for these he will fight desperately 

 against all rivals. 



The lords of the harems and their spouses go ashore on the 

 islands in November to produce their young, and remain there, 

 as a rule, until the following May. "When the pups are born 

 they are blind, and remain so for some time ; but when they 

 are a month old, they are taken into the water by their mothers 

 and taught to swim, and after that they spend most of their 

 time in it. If caught when young they are easily tamed, and 

 soon learn to know a person's voice, and to expect his caresses. 

 They are very active in the water, and as they move through 

 it with great velocity, it is a most interesting sight to watch 

 them. Their gambols are very pleasing, especially when they 

 are leaping, as they can bound seven or eight feet into the air 

 with apparent ease. 



They sleep on their sides while in the sea, and when they 

 go ashore they scramble and tumble over the rocks, until 

 sometimes an island is fairly black with them; while their 

 gruff barking is heard above the roar of the tempest and the 

 screaming of the surging waves, especially if the males are 

 fighting, as the females of their harems seem to encourage 

 them to the combat by persistent cries. 



"\Vhen the Indians intend to attack these they drive them 

 inland slowly, allowing them to rest at intervals, and when 

 they have reached a good position, some of the herd are sepa- 

 rated from the others, and the red men eoinmence plying their 



