462 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIIULOF ISLANDS. 



tlien 1)6 turned out to s,ea, f sucL a tliiug seemed necessary, and allowed to remain 

 there for a time, when they could again be rounded up from their luiuling grounds 

 and kept out of reach of pelagic sealers during the month of August. Judging by 

 the capacity of tlie hulls to fast four months, a fast of a niontli would seem not to be 

 impossible for the younger seals. 



The Lagoon could take care of all the rookeries except those of Northeast Point. 

 ISTear the killing grounds at this place is Webster Lake, a considerable body of water, 

 which might be utilized for a similar purpose. 



To carry out these plans it wouhl be necessary to fence the Lagoon and put iu a 

 row of palings across the channel; also to fence Webster Lake. As, however, the 

 sealers take a considerable number of males, the shutting off of the supply would do 

 nuich toward rendering the business unprolitable, and the seals saved to the United 

 States would more than rejiay the outlay in fencing and caring for seals. 



As there is no fence about the Lagoon it was necessary to station native guards 

 aliout it at intervals of an eighth of a mile to keep the seals from making their way 

 out. Boats with men in them were anchored iu the channel to guard the way to the 

 sea. They at once showed a tendency to get over the bowlder spit at the point where it 

 Joins the rocky elitt. Evidently many of them know the way out here from ex])erience 

 in former diives. As soon as the tide began to set in through the channel many 

 showed a disposition to follow its course out. In the channel the seals were rather 

 difficult to manage; they kept up their elfoits to escajie in this direction persistently 

 all the afternoon, but the men had no tlifliculty in frightening them back. On land, of 

 course, the men had no difficulty. Each native set up such pieces of driftwood as he 

 could find on his beat and referred to them as his hcli)ers. They seemed quite 

 effective in driving back the seals. 



The seals were put m at 9 o'clock iu the morning and held until 9 o'clock at night. 

 The weather was extremely unpleasant, being windy, rainy, and cold, and developing 

 into a gale at night. 



The natives, when they found that they were to guard the seals in the Lagoon 

 over uight, stipulated that a member of the commission should be detailed to watch 

 with them, as they claimed the seals could not be held at night and they did not want 

 to be blamed if they escaped. 



THE HERDED SEALS. 



During the afternoon for four coiisecaitive hours the movements of the seals were 

 watched. They spread over the entire surface of the lagoon. At three jwints they 

 made constant ettorts to escape, viz, through the channel, over and at the angle of 

 the cliff, and across the country in the direction of Tolstoi. It was, however, only 

 small bands of seals that made trouble. For the most part the seals swam about, 

 played, and slept just as they do in the water off the rookeries. 



At ■'^..'lO o'clock the seals were stretched out in a long line from one end of the 

 lagoon to the other. For half an hour there was little change. Then they began to 

 bunch ill certain i)arts and to sleep. A pod of about 50 ai)proached the narrow 

 sandy beach toward Tolstoi and for some reason took fright, i)liinging back into the 

 water. At intervals of five miiuites they continui^ to do this for liiilf an hour. On 

 going round to the sand beach it was found that a walking stick stuck uii in the sand 

 had been the cause of the fright of the seals. 



