82 TESTIMONY 



When the pup is born it is utterly helpless and dependentj it is not 



amphibious, and would drown if put into water. I 

 ^^Pups not ampbibi- j^^ve ofteu watched the pups near the water's edge 



when in stormy weather the surf carried them off, and 



in every instance they drowned as soon as they went into deep water. 



The pup is entirely dependent on its dam for sustenance, and when 



it is a few days old she goes into the sea to feed, 

 _^Motiier cows feed- returning at intervals of a few hours at first, and, 



gradually lengthening the time as the pups grow older 

 and stronger, until she will be, sometimes, away for a v, hole week. 

 During these journeys, in my opinion, she goes a distance of from 40 

 to 200 miles from the islands to feed; and it is at this time she tails a 

 prey to the pelagic hunter. 



Returned to the rookery, the cow goes straight to the spot where 

 she left her pup, and it seems she instantly recognizes it by smelliug; 

 and it is equally certain that the pup can not recognize its dam. 1 

 have often seen pups attempt to suck cows promiscuously, yet no 

 cow will suckle any pup but her own. When five or six weeks old the 



pups begin to run around and form bunches or "pods ; " 

 pupspoddiug. ^^ ^^^^- ^^ ^jg.j^^ weeks old they try the water at the 



edge, where, after paddling in the shallows, they gradually learn to 

 swim. After becoming expert swimmers they continue to show a 

 preference for laud, Aviiere they generally remain if not driven iuto the 

 water by heavy rain or warm sunshine. They make no effort to secure 

 sustenance of any sort beyond that furnished by their dams. 



I have examined many pups at the food killirigs in jSTovember, and I 



never found anything but milk in their stomachs. 



The young males, or bachelors, whose skins are taken by the lessees, 



begin to haul out in May, and they continue to haul 



lons!"^""^ °^ ^''"''''" out until late in July, the older ones coming first and 



the youuger ones later; and they herd by themselves 



during May, June, and July, because were tliey to approach the 



breeding grounds the bulls would drive them off or destroy them. 



The " bachelors" of from 2 to 5 years old are the only seals driven or 



killed on the seal islands by anyone or for any pur- 



anagement. pose; and the sensational stories told of how they are 



"tortured" on the drive have no foundation in fact. When uecessary 



to make a drive for skins from any given rookery, the 



■'°"'''°^" local agent of the lessees informs the Treasury agent, 



and obtains his permission to make the " drive." No seals are driven 



without the consent of the Treasury agent in charge of the island. 



All being ready, the native chief takes a squad of men to the hauling 



ground, where the seals are quietly surrounded without disturbing the 



breeding rookery, and they are then driven slowly along to the killing 



ground. 



Since the improved methods of 1879 there is no drives of greater 



^, , , . length than 2,h miles, and the majority of them do 



Length of drives. ,=' t -■ " -i c^ x' n i i i 



not exceed 1 mile. So caretully and so slowly are 

 the drives made, the men driving are relieved every hour, because of 



the slow motion they get chilled on the road. Arrived 

 ^ ^^' at the killing grounds, the seals are driven out from 



the main body in '' pods" of twenty or thirty at a time, and experienced 

 men club aiul kill the desirable ones, and allow all that remain to re- 

 turn at their leisure to the adjacent Avaters. Tlie most experienced men 

 do the skinning, and after them come the women and children who 

 carry off the carcasses for food, and the fat or blubber for winter fuel. 



