550 THE FUB SEALS OF THE PKIBILOF ISLANDS. 



JULY 9. 



I attended the killing from Polovina rookery which was made at Stony Point. 

 Last year a killing ground was established by Judge Crowley at the lake back of 

 the rookery and less than half a mile away. Its discontinuance does not seem 

 necessary or wise. The drive to Stony Point is about 2 miles long, but easy because 

 two-thirds of the distance is made up of a chain of lakes through which the seals 

 swim. 



The total number of seals killed was 356; 97 large seals and 115 small ones were 

 driven away. 



There is manifestly a great deal less skill or else less care in doing the clubbing 

 this season. Instances where animals are struck on the back and shoulders with 

 blows intended for others are numerous. More of these occurred this morning than 

 ever. Animals are more often struck on the tip of the nose or on the back of the 

 neck and are left to revive, not being clubbed again until the pod is finished. The 

 stickers regularly carry clubs to dispatch the seals not yet dead when they reach 

 them. Several animals stunned so badly as to require half an hour to come to have 

 been seen. One young bull had an eye knocked out this morning, and several were 

 sent away with bloody noses. The fault seems to He with the clubbers. They are a 

 new set and never seem sure of hitting their mark. The new chief, too, has something 

 to do with the matter. He does not seem to have good control over his men. He has 

 been cautioned severely by Colonel Murray on several occasions. 



DEAD cows. 



A cow came ashore last night on the beach below the village salt house. She 

 was dead, but no external cause of death could be found. This morning another dead 

 cow was found halfway up the lagoon at low tide. Both were brought in and skinned 

 by Jacob Kochuten. In each case death resulted from biting by bulls. All over 

 the back were traces of tooth marks which, while they did not penetrate the skin, 

 loosened it from the blubber. In one case the immediate cause of death was the 

 literal crushing in of the chest by the jaws of the bull. The skin was cut and torn 

 by a dozen tooth marks and the chest cavity was full of clotted blood. In the other 

 case the cow was severely bitten in the throat, but doubtless the injury that caused 

 death was a bite in the small of the back. Both cows had recently borne pups and 

 had an abundant supply of milk. Their pups must become the victims of starvation. 



KITOVI AND LUKANIN. 



The Amphitheater to day has 587 cows; Lukanin 1,540. These counts are 

 manifestly less accurate thau the preceding ones because of the rain and the mist. 

 Cows and rocks are wet and not so easily distinguishable. 



Cows are coming and going. A harem which had 3 cows with their pups 

 yesterday has 5 new cows in it. The young bull noted as catching and serving the 

 escaping cow has now a fresh cow. Several other small harems are formed at various 

 points. The young bull seen to attempt copulation with the pup has now 3 cows 

 in charge. The large harem on the Amphitheater has still about 90 cows, though it 

 is diflflcult to count it accurately because of the constant moving about of many of 

 the cows. Two large harems, at some distance removed from the sea have plainly 



