192 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



been swept along in the driven herd — tlieir motliers gone in it — tliey left 

 to perish behind. The podding of these pujis way back by the 20th of 

 July on to the abandoned hauling grounds, so that the holluschickie 

 can and do mix with them and tlieir mothers, makes the act of driving 

 from this hour forth, during the remainder of the season simply ruinous 

 to the rookeries; since, bad as it is to-day, it would become worse and 

 worse as it progressed every day after. 



July 22^ IS'JO. — These hauling grounds of St. George, which were 

 never by nature of the laud and life thereon, as broad and extended as 

 those of St. Paul, were in 1873, polished very brightly by the hollus- 

 chickie; but that same utter desolation which prevails over them at 

 St. I'aul also prevails here. The driving, however, thanks to the good 

 sense of Webster, has not been so excessive as it would have been had 

 a less exi)erienced sealer been in charge. For instance, driving every 

 day from a given hauling ground this season will not yield at the end 

 of a week's work any more seals than it would were the drive made 

 but once in all that time. In 1872-1874, however, so many seals were 

 on hand at everyplace, that it was necessary to take no more each day 

 than the working force of skinners at the village could handle. But 

 when the seals are scarce, astliej^ are everywhere this year, it is folly to 

 rake and scrape the ragged edges of these breeding rookeries every day 

 or two for a mere handful of holluschickie which can be secured Just as 

 well if driven all up once a week. It is the driving, as well as the clubs, 

 that kills. 



The method of driving as now ordered, makes the selection of hollus- 

 chickie, after the pups begin to pod in bulk on or before the 20tli of July 

 every season, utterly imj)ossible without sweeping cows into the drive, 

 and dragging their young out to die in the track of this drive. Every 

 day on from this 20th of JiUy, makes the work of such driving worse and 

 worse for the rookeries; so much so that no driving under any and all 

 circumstant'es after that date ever should have been permitted or will 

 be permitted again if our Government means to preserve and perpetuate 

 these fur-bearing interests on the Priblov Islands. 



Bad as driving in eilect on the holluschickie is, the driving of cows 

 is certain injury to them; they are fuller in habit and less muscular; 

 their milk glands become inflamed and swollen, and the result must 

 ensue of "garget" or "milk sickness," so well known in cats, dogs, 

 and cattle. That means death or ])ermanent disability, even if the 

 cows are driven but once — death to both cow and her puj) left behind, 

 since that pup will not be permitted to suckle any other. 



The scraping or sweeping of these rookeries on St. George did not 

 fairly begin until 1884; while it was not really begun in earnest on 

 St. Paul until 1886 or 1887; but the driving here has been lighter than 

 it would have been had I not changed the quota from 25,000 to 10,000 in 

 1874. In 1887 the difiiculty of getting even 15,000 7-pound skins before 

 the end of July, was evident, far more difticult than that of securing 

 25,000 before the 20th of July in 1872; yet, in spite of this marked 

 deviation from the working record of the preceding seasons, the Treasury 

 agents of 1880-87, in charge of these interests, actually sent in a report 

 to the Treasury Department criticising my figures of 1873-74 and 

 declaring that there were eight times as many fur seals on the St. 

 George rookeries then, as when I made my surveys in 1873-74! 



I can not see any difference in the character of the holluschickie here 

 on St. George from those I have studied all summer on St. Paul; indeed, 

 I know that these animals haul on either island indifferently, as they 

 go and come throughout the season. They will haul out here to-day ; 



