THE FUR-SEAL ISLANDS OF ALASKA. 89 



catch never lias beeu less tliau oue-sixth of the number of the quota on tlie larger island. Thus the two authors 

 seem to stand each other oft', and I am thrown back to the ground itself for an answer, which I am inclined to 

 believe will be correct, when I say that the island of St. George never was resorted to in any great numbers by 

 the fur-seal, and that the sea lion was the dominant animal there until disturbed and driven from its breeding- 

 grounds by the people, -who naturally sought to encourage its more valuable relative by so doing, and made room, 

 in this way, for it. 



IG. CAPTUEE OF THE SEA-LION. 



The deiving on St. Paul. — The great intrinsic value to the domestic service of the Aleuts rendered by the 

 flesh, fat, and sinews of this animal, together with its skin, arouses the natives of St. Paul and St. George, 

 who annually make a drive of "seevitchie", by which they capture, ou the former island, two or three hundred, 

 as the case may be. On St. George, driA'ing is so much more diflBcult, owing to the character of the land itself, 

 that very few are secured there; but, at St. Paul unexceptional advantages are found on Northeast iioint for the 

 capture of these shy and wary brutes. The natives of St. Paul, therefore, are depended upon to secure the 

 necessary number of skins required by both islands for their boats, and other purposes. This capture of tbe 

 sea-lion is the only serious business which the people have on St. Paul; it is a labor of great care, industry, and 

 some physical risk for the Aleutian hunters.* 



By reference to my sketch-map of Northeast point rookery, tlie observer will notice a peculiar neck or boot- 

 shaped point, which 1 have designated as Sea Lion neck. This area is a spot upon which a lai-ge number of sea- 

 lions are always to be found tluring the season. As they are so shy, and sure to take to water upon the appearance 

 or i)resf nee of man near by, the natives adopt this plau : 



Preparations for the drive. — Along by the middle or end of September, as late sometimes as November, 

 and after the fur-seal rookeries have broken up for the season, tifteen or twenty of the very best men in the village 

 are selected, by one of their chiefs, for a sea-lion rendezvous at Northeast point; they go up there with their 

 provisions, tea and sugar, and blankets, and make themselves at home in the harrabbora and houses, which I have 

 located on the sketch-map of Novastoshnah, ])reparcd to stay, if necessary, a month, or until they shall get the whole 

 drove together of two or three hundred sealious. 



Methods of driving sea lioxs. — The " seevitchie", as the natives call these animals, cannot be approached 

 successfully by daylight, so these hunters lie by, in this house of Webster's, until a favorable night comes along — 

 one in which the moon is partially obscured by drifting clouds, and the wind blows over them from the rookery 

 where the sea-lions lie ; such an opportunity being afforded, they step down to the beach at low water, and proceed 

 to creep on all fours over the surf-beaten sand and bowlders up to the dozing herd, and between it and the high- 

 water mark where it rests. In this way, a small body of natives, crawling along in Indian file, may pass unnoticed 

 by the sea-lion sentries, which doubtless, in the uncertain light see, but confound, the forms of their human enemies 

 with those of seals. When the creeping Aleuts have all reached the strip of beach that is left bare by ebb-tide, 

 which is between the water and the unsuspecting animals, at a given signal from their crawling leader they all at 

 once leap to their feet, shout, yell, brandishing their arms, and firing off pistols, while the astonished and terrified 

 lions roar and flounder in all directions. 



Behavior of the sea-lions when surprised. — If, at the moment of surprise, the brutes are sleeping 

 Avith their heads pointed toward the water, they rise up in fright and charge straight on in that way directly over 

 the men themselves, but if their heads have been resting at this instant pointed landward, up they rise and follow 

 that course just as desperately, and nothing will turn them either one way or the other; those sea-lions which 

 charged for the water are lost, of course;! but the natives promptly follow up the land-turned animal with a rare 



* A curious, thongli doubtless authentic, story was tokl me, iu this couucction, illustrative of the strength and energy of the sea-lion 

 bull when at bay. Many years ago (18471, ou St. Paul island, a drivi^ of September sea-lions was brought down to the village iu the usual 

 style ; but when the natives assembled to kill them, on account of the great scarcity, at that time, of powder ou the island, it was voted 

 best to lauce the old males also, as well as the females, rather than shoot them iu the customary style. The people had hardly set to work 

 at the task when one of their number, a sma 1, elderjy, though tough, able-bodied Aleut, while thrusting his lance into the "life " of a largo 

 bull, was suddenly seen to fall on his back, directly under the huge brute's head; instantly the powerful jaws of the "seevitchie" closed 

 upon the waistband, apparently, of the native, and, lifting the yelling man aloft, as a cat would a kitten, the sea-lion shook and threw 

 him high into the air, away over the heads of his associates, who rushed up to the rescue, and fjulckly destroyed the animal by a dozen 

 furious spear-thrusts, yet death did not loosen its clenched jaws, iu which were the tattered fragments of Ivan's clothing. 



t The natives appreciate this peculiarity of the sea-lion very keeuly, for good aud sufficient cause, though none of them have ever 

 been b.adly injured in driving, or "springing the alarm". I camped with them ibr six successive nights in September, 1872, in order to 

 witness the whole procedure. During the several drives made while I was wi(h Ihem. I saw but one exciting incident; everything went 

 oif in the orthodox manner, as described iu the text above. The exceptional incident occurred during the first drive of the first night, and 

 rendered the natives so cautious that it was not repeated. Wheu the alarm was sprung, old Luka Mandrigan was leading the van, and 

 at that moment, down upon him, despite his wildly gesticulating arms aud vociferous yelling, came a squad of bull "seevitchie". The 

 native saw instantly that they were pointed for the water, and, in his sound sense, turned to run from under, his tarbosar slipped ui^on a 

 slimy rock awash, he fell flat as a flounder, just as a dozen or more big sea-lions jiluuged over and on to his prostrate form in the shallow 

 water. In less time than this' can be written, the heavy pinnipeds had disappeared, while the bullet-like head of old Luka was quickly 

 raised, and he trotted back to us with an alteruatiou of mirth and chagrin in his voice ; he was not hurt iu the least. 



