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  ALASKA 
  FISHERIES 
  AND 
  FUB 
  INDUSTRIES^ 
  1913. 
  

  

  they 
  become 
  dry 
  and 
  stiff. 
  In 
  this 
  condition 
  they 
  are 
  stored 
  until 
  

   time 
  to 
  use 
  them 
  for 
  a 
  boat 
  cover. 
  Then 
  they 
  are 
  soaked 
  until 
  soft, 
  

   the 
  edges 
  trimmed 
  until 
  they 
  fit 
  each 
  other, 
  and 
  are 
  sewed 
  together 
  

   by 
  the 
  women 
  with 
  thread 
  made 
  of 
  whale 
  sinew, 
  or 
  better, 
  as 
  has 
  

   been 
  found, 
  with 
  stout 
  linen 
  thread. 
  The 
  cover 
  while 
  wet 
  is 
  stretched 
  

   taut 
  over 
  the 
  boat 
  frame, 
  lashed 
  to 
  the 
  gunwale 
  with 
  heavy 
  twine, 
  

   and 
  allowed 
  to 
  dry. 
  When 
  dry 
  it 
  is 
  as 
  tight 
  as 
  a 
  drumhead 
  and 
  as 
  

   stiff 
  as 
  sole 
  leather. 
  Since 
  1909 
  conditions 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  propitious 
  

   for 
  making 
  a 
  drive 
  of 
  these 
  animals. 
  While 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  present 
  

   each 
  year, 
  either 
  they 
  haul 
  out 
  in 
  places 
  inaccessible 
  for 
  driving, 
  or 
  

   the 
  weather 
  conditions 
  were 
  not 
  favorable 
  for 
  the 
  men 
  to 
  approach 
  

   without 
  giving 
  alarm. 
  Attempts 
  each 
  year 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  drive 
  have 
  

   been 
  without 
  success. 
  

  

  This 
  spring 
  (1913) 
  the 
  usual 
  report 
  came 
  from 
  North 
  East 
  Point 
  

   that 
  about 
  50 
  sea-lion 
  bachelors 
  had 
  hauled 
  quite 
  a 
  distance 
  back 
  

   from 
  the 
  beach 
  and 
  that 
  a 
  drive 
  probably 
  could 
  be 
  made. 
  Acting 
  

   on 
  this, 
  on 
  May 
  14, 
  a 
  team 
  was 
  sent 
  with 
  eight 
  hunters 
  and 
  a 
  cook. 
  

   On 
  May 
  20 
  these 
  men 
  were 
  brought 
  back 
  after 
  they 
  had 
  made 
  

   several 
  unsuccessful 
  attempts 
  to 
  secure 
  the 
  drive. 
  On 
  May 
  23 
  the 
  

   party 
  agaia 
  was 
  sent 
  out 
  and 
  remained 
  until 
  the 
  31st, 
  when 
  further 
  

   attempts 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  drive 
  were 
  abandoned. 
  

  

  During 
  this 
  whole 
  period 
  the 
  wind 
  was 
  favorable 
  for 
  driving 
  on 
  only 
  

   two 
  occasions. 
  May 
  20 
  and 
  24. 
  On 
  the 
  first 
  date 
  a 
  drive 
  was 
  at- 
  

   tempted. 
  As 
  the 
  animals 
  lay 
  widely 
  scattered, 
  the 
  driving 
  gang 
  

   was 
  divided 
  into 
  two 
  sections, 
  each 
  appro 
  achkig 
  along 
  the 
  beach 
  

   from 
  a 
  different 
  flank 
  upon 
  the 
  center. 
  While 
  crawling 
  along 
  the 
  

   water's 
  edge, 
  before 
  they 
  were 
  in 
  position 
  to 
  rise 
  suddenly 
  and 
  startle 
  

   the 
  animals 
  a 
  fox 
  in 
  the 
  driver's 
  path 
  ran 
  off 
  among 
  the 
  sea 
  hons, 
  

   barking 
  at 
  the 
  men. 
  This 
  caused 
  the 
  drive 
  to 
  withdraw 
  to 
  the 
  beach, 
  

   and 
  made 
  the 
  attempt 
  a 
  failure. 
  On 
  the 
  24th 
  the 
  sea 
  lions 
  were 
  so 
  

   widely 
  scattered 
  that 
  none 
  could 
  be 
  prevented 
  from 
  plunging 
  into 
  the 
  

   water. 
  

  

  While 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  have 
  these 
  boat 
  covers 
  made 
  of 
  some 
  

   flexible 
  material, 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  heavy 
  canvas 
  could 
  be 
  sub- 
  

   stituted 
  for 
  sea-lion 
  skins 
  and 
  used 
  to 
  advantage. 
  This 
  could 
  be 
  

   sewed 
  as 
  are 
  the 
  skins, 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  paint 
  or 
  oil. 
  The 
  dishke 
  

   of 
  the 
  natives 
  to 
  use 
  a 
  bidarra 
  covered 
  with 
  anything 
  else 
  than 
  sea- 
  

   lion 
  hides 
  would 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  overcome. 
  Certainly 
  the 
  bidarras 
  now 
  

   on 
  the 
  islands 
  will 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  covered 
  with 
  something 
  soon, 
  and, 
  as 
  

   no 
  skins 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  obtainable, 
  something 
  else 
  will 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  used. 
  

  

  Sea 
  lions 
  are 
  plentiful 
  on 
  Bogaslov 
  Island, 
  west 
  of 
  Unalaska. 
  The 
  

   natives 
  of 
  St. 
  Paul 
  found 
  over 
  100 
  young 
  males 
  on 
  Walrus 
  Island 
  June 
  

   14 
  of 
  this 
  year. 
  The 
  species 
  is 
  not 
  in 
  danger 
  of 
  extermiaation, 
  but 
  

   conditions 
  seem 
  to 
  prevent 
  any 
  from 
  beiag 
  captured 
  . 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  allowed 
  

   to 
  shoot 
  them 
  on 
  their 
  breeding: 
  grounds. 
  

  

  