194 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



I observe a very large ijroportiou of yearling cows scattered all over 

 the breediiig ground from end to end near the sea margin, while the 

 yearlings of both sexes are completely mixed up on the outskirts of the 

 rookerj'^ here and everywhere else, commingled with the adult cows and 

 tbeir young pups. 



August Ij 1890. — Heavy rain has fallen and a stiff southwest gale 

 raged all day yesterday. It cleared up this afternoon. Desiring to see 

 the hauling grounds at Zapadnie and tlie rookery there immediately 

 after such a storm, where the surf breaks in with full force and fury, 1 

 went over and made a survey of the entire field. Since my last visit 

 the pups have podded to the uttermost length and breadth of the place, 

 1,000 to 1,500 feet back from the surf margin of the rookery, and way 

 ux) and into the green grass and moss in the rear. Squads of hollus- 

 chickie mingled in with them everywhere, and their mothers, of course; 

 but how many in proportion I can not say, since the yearlings and the 

 2-year-olds so closely resemble the young cows when all huddled up 

 and startled by the ap])roach of man. 



However, if you walk slowlj^ and occasionally sit or stoop down for 

 a few minutes, when an unusual rush by the seals seems ])ending, yon 

 can traverse every one of these breeding grounds without startling or 

 stampeding many of the seals thereon into the water. As these animals, 

 first startled by your unexpected form, cough, spit, snort, and then turn 

 to fly, at that moment you gently squat down. Then they pause, turn 

 curiously to look, and notice that you are not following or moving; 

 then they bolt, altogether, and regard you intently for a minute or two. 

 If you do not move in a few moments more they all resume their occu- 

 pati<m of sleeping or playing one with another, as they were doing 

 when you first startled them by your coming. 



Then, if you rise slowly to an erect posture and resume your walk 

 very quietly and slowly along parallel with or away from them, they do 

 not seem to pay you any special attention. They will not again start 

 to run or "flip flapper" back into the sea. 



Aufiust 1, 1890. — iNTatives drove a pod of 97 seals up for food this 

 morning. Only 5 skins out of the whole number of the 97 seals killed 

 (for they were all killed) were 7-pound pelts, the rest yearlings and 

 2-year-olds; 85 per cent yearlings. 



;S^^. Faul Island, August .9, lhi90. — A careful survey of the Beef and 

 Zoltoi, Garbotch, and Gull Hill hauling grounds this Hiorning discloses 

 no change whatever in the lonely character of these places, and I 

 observe the same scarcity of yearlings that has recently impressed me 

 on St. George. 



Not a single young male seal on Zoltoi sands this day, and none have 

 hauled there at all this season; audit is safe to say that none will 

 until the pods of swimming pups in October come herefrom Garbotch. 

 What few holluschickie are left here have become so demoralized by the 

 driving early in June, and up to the 20th of July, as to now^ haul in 

 among the podded cows, where you can easily distinguish them right 

 and" left among the "matkahs" and pups. It would be very difficult 

 now to say, as we look out over the field, how many of theni are thus 

 hauled out there to-day, but the spectacle is a quiet, sad one to see- 

 that silent parade ground of the Eeef, ahead of us. Over its whole 

 smooth sweep a soft, velvety grass and moss is springing up bright 

 and strong under the stimulus of an August air. That wide expanse 

 is entirely deserted hi/ seals where in 1872 it was fairly alive with restless 

 trooping thousands and tens of thousands. 



That southw est gale of the 30th and 31st of July, which I experienced 



