﻿FUR-SEAL 
  SFRVICE. 
  167 
  

  

  the 
  beach. 
  No 
  other 
  form 
  of 
  boat, 
  carrying 
  the 
  same 
  quantity 
  of 
  

   merchandise, 
  is 
  hght 
  enough 
  to 
  be 
  handled 
  by 
  the 
  force 
  of 
  workmen 
  

   on 
  the 
  islands. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  practice, 
  therefore, 
  to 
  secure 
  on 
  

   St. 
  Paul 
  skins 
  enough 
  to 
  renew 
  each 
  year 
  the 
  cover 
  of 
  a 
  bidarra 
  on 
  

   each 
  island. 
  The 
  St. 
  George 
  herd 
  rarely 
  if 
  ever 
  furnishes 
  a 
  skin. 
  

  

  In 
  late 
  years 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  possible 
  to 
  obtain 
  such 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  

   skins. 
  No 
  drive 
  of 
  sea 
  lions 
  on 
  St. 
  Paul 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  since 
  1909. 
  

   notwithstanding 
  annual 
  attempts 
  to 
  make 
  such 
  drive. 
  

  

  The 
  driving 
  of 
  sea 
  lions 
  requires 
  skiU, 
  patience, 
  and 
  courage 
  that 
  

   not 
  aU 
  the 
  native 
  hunters 
  seem 
  to 
  possess, 
  and 
  does 
  actually 
  call 
  

   into 
  use 
  all 
  the 
  aboriginal 
  skill 
  in 
  hunting 
  that 
  these 
  men 
  have 
  fallen 
  

   heir 
  to. 
  

  

  The 
  animals 
  sought 
  to 
  be 
  secured 
  are 
  the 
  immature 
  males 
  and 
  

   young 
  male 
  adults 
  that 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  secure 
  cows. 
  These, 
  

   as 
  do 
  the 
  fur-seals 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  class, 
  gather 
  in 
  one 
  place 
  usually, 
  

   apart 
  from 
  the 
  breeders. 
  They 
  are 
  enormous 
  beasts, 
  10 
  to 
  12 
  feet 
  

   long, 
  each 
  weighing 
  nearly 
  or 
  quite 
  a 
  ton. 
  They 
  are 
  very 
  wary 
  

   and 
  will 
  rush 
  for 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  sight, 
  sound 
  or 
  scent 
  of 
  any 
  disturbmg 
  

   element. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  the 
  object 
  of 
  the 
  native 
  hunters 
  to 
  place 
  themselves 
  between 
  

   the 
  sea 
  lions 
  and 
  the 
  beach 
  and 
  to 
  induce 
  them 
  to 
  run 
  inland 
  instead 
  

   of 
  into 
  the 
  water. 
  Once 
  started 
  in 
  an 
  inland 
  direction 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  

   driven 
  slowly 
  but 
  with 
  comparative 
  ease 
  to 
  any 
  place 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  

   desired 
  to 
  kill 
  them. 
  

  

  To 
  get 
  between 
  the 
  animals 
  and 
  the 
  sea 
  is 
  the 
  difficult 
  and 
  dangerous 
  

   task. 
  The 
  wind 
  must 
  be 
  directly 
  off 
  shore 
  or 
  slightly 
  quartering, 
  or 
  

   otherwise 
  the 
  scent 
  of 
  the 
  approaching 
  hunters 
  would 
  cause 
  the 
  

   creatures 
  to 
  rush 
  into 
  the 
  sea 
  before 
  they 
  could 
  be 
  intercepted. 
  If 
  

   the 
  beach 
  line 
  is 
  clear 
  and 
  the 
  wind 
  favorable, 
  the 
  men 
  creep 
  care- 
  

   fully 
  along 
  the 
  rocky 
  beach 
  at 
  low 
  tide 
  until 
  they 
  have 
  reached 
  a 
  

   position 
  favorable 
  for 
  turning 
  the 
  sleeping 
  animals 
  inland. 
  Then 
  

   rising 
  suddenly 
  with 
  shouts, 
  hand 
  clapping, 
  and 
  gunshots 
  the 
  attempt 
  

   is 
  made. 
  

  

  If 
  all 
  goes 
  well, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  animals 
  in 
  their 
  fright 
  will 
  rush 
  inland; 
  

   others 
  will 
  make 
  for 
  the 
  water 
  despite 
  the 
  noise. 
  Then 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  if 
  a 
  

   luckless 
  native 
  is 
  not 
  in 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  a 
  charging 
  beast, 
  as 
  nothing 
  can 
  

   stop 
  it 
  until 
  the 
  sea 
  is 
  gained. 
  Many 
  narrow 
  escapes 
  from 
  injury 
  or 
  

   death 
  from 
  trampling 
  or 
  a 
  snatch 
  from 
  the 
  enormous 
  jaws 
  has 
  served 
  

   to 
  add 
  zest 
  to 
  the 
  enterprise. 
  

  

  If 
  a 
  drive 
  is 
  made, 
  the 
  animals 
  are 
  driven 
  to 
  a 
  level 
  stretch 
  of 
  

   ground 
  where 
  racks 
  have 
  been 
  erected. 
  There 
  the 
  beasts 
  are 
  shot, 
  

   tJie 
  skins 
  removed 
  and 
  piled 
  one 
  over 
  the 
  other, 
  where, 
  covered 
  with 
  

   grass 
  or 
  turf, 
  they 
  are 
  allowed 
  to 
  "sweat" 
  until 
  incipient 
  putrefaction 
  

   has 
  so 
  loosened 
  the 
  hair 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  scraped 
  off. 
  The 
  skins 
  then 
  

   are 
  taken 
  up, 
  scraped 
  clean 
  of 
  hair, 
  and 
  stretched 
  on 
  the 
  racks 
  until 
  

  

  