286 THE FUK SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



July 1. — At ;i drive t'roiu Keef 'liii wiue killed aud !)"> per eeiit turned back. 



July 2. — At a drive from Halfway Point 242 seals were killed and It.j per <'eut 

 turned back. 



July 4. — At tlie drive from Tolstoi 481 were killed and OdA per cent turned baek. 

 To day tbe lessees lowered tbe standard of weigbt of skins taken to 5.^ clean.' 



July o. — A visit to Otter Islaud showed not more than 50 seals hauled out, and 

 not more than a dozen seals were seen in the water between here aud the island. 



July 17. — Of the 1,514 seals driven from Polovina, 87 per cent were rejected; of 

 1,320 from Lukauin ami Kitovi 85^ per cent were rejected. 



July 18. — At the drive to day from Zapadni 241 seals were killed out of a drive 

 of 1,102. The lessees began taking "wigs" this morning, 82 being taken. 



July 19. — Out of a drive of 4,020 from the Reef and Zoltoi, 556 were killed. 



July 20.2— The ^i-iyp from English Bay, Middle Hill, Tolstoi, Lukaniu, Kitovi. and 

 Kocky Point furnished 780 skins; 3,0."i(; were rejected. 



August 1. — Mr. Goff' visited Kitovi, Lukauin, Kiigiish Bay, Middle Hill, and 

 Tolstoi to-day and estimated that 5,000 seals could be driven from these rookeries and 

 that 10 per cent of them would be killable. 



RECORD KEPT BY JOSEPH MURRAY. 



August 14. — A drive for food was made from Lukanin and 124 killed; 6 were 

 smothered in the drive. 



September 7. — A schooner has been shooting seals oft" Northeast Point, within a 

 mile of shore, for several days; 100 shots were counted in some cases for one seal 

 taken. 



November 12. — Pups from Reef rookery were killed, 324 in all, making a total of 

 2,304, or 12 each for the 107 natives on the islands.' 



December 4. — A food drive from Reef yielded 258 skins, of which 235 were prime. 



1891. 



April 24. — A native reports a bull seal landed at Northeast Point. 



April 29. — No seals are hauled out on the Reef, but seals are in the w;iter about 

 Sea Lion liock. 



April 30. — The first bulls are hauled out on the Reef today and on Sea Lion Rock. 



May 2. — Bulls are hauling out to-day on all the rookeries. 



May 15. — At a food drive from Reef 2.33 were killed. 



June 4. — A drive from Reef was made for the lessees and 476 killed; 13 small 

 seals died on the drive. 



' Heretofore an attempt was made to jjet a better grade of skius than were taken in 1889, but 

 sticb seals being wanting it was ni"( essary to take smaller ones. Tlie weight of skins here antlinrized 

 would include 2-5'e:u-old8. 



-This closed the season by order of the Treasury agent under protest from the lessees. In view 

 of the percentage of rejected seals in the drive (^ven after lowering the weight to the unprecediuited 

 figure of 5| pounds, and then authorizing the taking of "wigs," this course would seem to have 

 been fully justified. The seals were simply not to be had. This view is borne out by the small 

 showing of the hauling ground visited on August 1 after two weeks' rest. The ipiota of 18i)ll had 

 been anticipated in filling that for 188ii. 



^In view of the depleted condition sIkjwu the bachelor herd of this year, it is incomprehensible 

 tliat this wasteful practice of slaughtering pups to furnish an article of luxury for the natives 

 should have been allowed. Vi\\ are glad to note tliat this is the end of the matter, but that it should 

 have continued so long is liard to contemplate witli patience. 



