146 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



ground as it is really occupied by the bulls to day. It is a fair sample of 

 the occupation of every other one of the great breeding grounds of St. 

 Paul. In 1872 there were right on the held of this drawing just as many 

 bulls to be seen as there were rocks uncovered. Look at the scene now ! 

 This is a pre liaphaelitic sketch. Visited lieef and Garbotch this morn 

 ing; no change in bulls substantially from what is above noted; 1' cows 

 on (Tarbotch, and Antone reports a pup on the Keef 



June 17, 1890. — The cows are hauHng in small squads. This is about 

 as in 1872; but not a single ''polseecatch" along the water margin of 

 this rookery to day; not a single one, and none upon the ground with 

 the old males, where there is plenty of vacant space and not liing to ojtpose 

 them. " Where are these half bulls which played so prominent a part in 

 the settlement of the rookeries in 1872-1874?" I asked T. this evening 

 and his assistant, Mr. R. They replied that tliey observed that this 

 class of seals was not on the rookeries to day. Mr. T. said that tive 

 years ago he saw the last of them, in so far as his observation went, at 

 Tolstoi. On calling Mr. GofTs attention to it, he declared that he never 

 observed a young bull attempting to land on the rookeries last year : and 

 that he believed that the natives tohl the truth when they said to me 

 in his presence at Northeast Point, that these animals were "quite all 

 killed." 



June 18, 1890. — How singularly regular the fog and drizzle is around 

 and on these islands. Here, during the last two weeks, with only one 

 or two brief intervals, the wind has blown from every point of the com- 

 pass from a stiff breeze to a gentle air, yet the fog and the drizzle have 

 been and are constant; just as it was in 1872. Not so much rain, but a 

 steady drizzle daily beaten into your eyes and clothes by fresh to vio- 

 lent winds. A thick fog and "booze" or drizzle does not prevent seals 

 from landing; indeed, it seems to encourage them; but a heavy rain 

 with hail or sleet will drive them into the water from the hauling 

 grounds. They will, however, soon reappear after the cessation of this 

 particular kind of meteorological disturbance. 



June 19, 1890. — I myself have not seen a "killer" (Orca) yet thus 

 far, but 1 am credibly informed that these enemies do appear here every 

 summer later on and in the fall (when the pups are just beginning to 

 go to sea) in greater and greater numbers every year. Also that within 

 the last three years, two exceedingly severe October gales have pre- 

 vailed, causing those deadly "surf nips" by which an immense number 

 of pups were destroyed. 



If it be true what I hear now, then between the "killer whales," the 

 "surf nips," the killing of the half bulls, the killing of yearlings, driving 

 from rookery margins, and iielagic hunting, the seals of these islands 

 have little chance short of extermination, unless the remedy is applied 

 at once. 



June 21, 1890. — Again I look over the sea margin and not a single 

 " polseecatch " at the water's edge. In this connection, arises the 

 strong assurance which the natives here gave Bishop Veniaminov in 

 1832, that these j^oung half bulls which are driven up in the daily drives 

 become thereby, utterly useless as breeders thereafter; that they are 

 demoralized and broken up physically so that they lay around simply 

 as outcasts or vagrants. 



I took notice in 1872 of the fact that there was a large number of 

 these apparently big, able-bodied bulls always hauled out and hauling 

 with the holluschickie, and lying in scpiads along on the sand beaches 

 whenever and wherever I went out in June and July during the incep- 

 tion and height of the breeding season. I then gave them only a 



