FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 173 



one in sight was right under the village bluffs where I stood by the 

 flagstaff. 



June 25^ 1890. — I went up at 6 a. m. to the killing at Tonkie Mees, or 

 Stony Point, where, ever since 18T9, the seals that hare hauled at Pola- 

 rina, and on the sand beach bcticcen and toward Lnl;annon below, have 

 been driven for slaughter. A small herd collected this morning, and 

 only 263 takeii. The balance, some 500 or 600, were turned back to the 

 sea. The selection was made in the same manner as yesterday, and 

 the same class of seals spared. An enormous number of 5 and 6 year 

 old bulls were in it for the whole number driren, even greater than that 

 I recorded yesterday. 1 tallied these pods thus: Pod 1, 70 driven; 9 

 taken, all 3 and 4 year olds. Pod 2, 35 driven; 9 taken, all 3 and 4 

 year olds. Pod 3, ~)6 driven; 16 taken, all 3 and 4 year olds. 



Then, after the killing gang had finished and started to return to 

 the village at 8.30 a. ni., I proceeded up to Polavina, following the 

 seal-drive path made by the natives early this morning. I observed 

 at Stony Point, or Tonkie Mees, the spared seals, as they were released 

 from the pods, plunge back into the surf, and to my surprise most of 

 these seals headed directly back for Polavina, jumping in rapid "dol- 

 phin" leaps and swimming rapidly. As I walked along I repeatedly 

 stepped up on to the summit of a sand dune, and continued to watch 

 the progress of these liberated herds. They all pointed directly for 

 Polavina, and filed right along in swift procession, passing me con- 

 tinually as I walked in the same direction. When I came up to my 

 land angle, Station C, I saw these small seals, liberated only a few 

 h(mrs ago at Tonkie Mees, beginning to haul anew at Polavina, from 

 whence they had been driven overland early this morning. They were 

 lured up as they returned, Just below the rookery ground proper, on 

 a broad sand beach by the large number of somnolent, apathetic bulls 

 that are stretched out here in a confused medley, all quiet, however, 

 or heavily sleeping. 



From this station (C) I could easily see distinctly that last remnant 

 of the zapooska at Stony Point, 2 miles below, creeping down into the 

 surf, then heading toward me, join the others, all swimming up along 

 shore just outside of the outer breaker margin of the rollers, up to that 

 point of retarding, as I have stated above. Thus, in this way, for the 

 first time, I have seen an unbroken circuit of released seals as it plunged 

 back into the water and hiuiled out again, within the space of three 

 hours from the time of the release until the landing was made anew. 



The ])resent poverty of these celebrated hauling grounds of Polavina 

 is well illustrated by the catch from the drive of to-day — only 263 skins. 

 At this day and date in 1872 I could have driven from the great parade 

 plateau behind this breeding ground, under precisely the same circum- 

 stances surrounding the drive of to-day, 10,000 killable seals, not one 

 of them over 4 years old, and not a single one of them under a good 

 3-yearold, i. e., all 8 to 12 pound skins. Comment is unnecessary. 



Yesterday, from the summit of Volcanic Ridge I saw three released 

 holluschickie sporting in the village lake, right under my feet. They 

 seemed to be tlioroughly happy; were lolling on their backs with their 

 flippers liizily held up or turne<l n]) and over on their chests, scratching, 

 etc. I sat down and watched them S])ort for some ten minutes. This 

 morning while on my way \^^ to Stony Point and Polavina I saw that one 

 of them had died — its body laid just awash at the water's margin : and, 

 only one of the other two was remaining in the lake. IS'ow, certainly, 

 this particular seal died last night from the strain or effect of that drive 

 overland from Tolstoi or English Bay, in getting over here from that 



