96 THE ASIATIC FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 



methods employed on the American and the Russian side that I asked to be enabled 

 to land on St. Paul Island and witness a drive there before proceeding to the 

 Commander Islands. It is therefore pertinent to submit a description of this drive, 

 which, thanks to the assistance of the agents of the company and of the United States 

 Treasury, 1 had an opportunity to follow on June 26, 1895. 



It would, of course, be hazardous to base any far-reaching conclusions upon one 

 single drive. As Mr. P. W. True was going to follow up similar studies on St. Paul 

 Island during the whole of the following season, he kindly assented to accompany me 

 on the present occasion, so that he might afterwards inform me how the drive we were 

 going to take part in might compare for severity with those which were to follow later, 

 and which I myself would not be able to inspect. 



At 9 p. m. on June 25, in company with Mr. Stanley-Brown, the general agent of 

 the company, we started for Polovina rookery in a buckboard drawn by a pair of strong 

 mules. The road was to a great extent still covered with snow and water, compelling 

 the driver to pick his way in the dark over hills and marshes. After a trying ride of 

 two hours, during which it was a wonder that we were not upset and spilled by the 

 roadside or into the water which surrounded us on all sides, we arrived safely at the 

 hut, where we found a party of nine Aleuts who had preceded us. After a fitful 

 slumber on the benches in front of the cooking stove, we turned out with our gang at 2 

 o'clock the next morning and proceeded to the hauling ground, where we could hardly 

 discern the various objects in the hazy gray light of the early morning. I quote now 

 from my diary, written a few hours later : 



We move stealthily along the margin of the breeding ground, which is occupied by angrily bellow- 

 ing bulls, a few — a very few — females, and still fewer pups, cutting off a small herd of bachelor seals 

 that are skirting the inner edge of the breeding grounds. At the end of the latter we make a sudden 

 spurt, Mr. True and I running at full speed with the Aleuts for the water's edge, thus cutting off 

 another crowd of bachelors — I estimate in all about 1,000. Then the driving begins by dividing the 

 herd in two (unintentionally) uneven sections, which are driven easily, without special urging, over 

 very even ground. 



The seals are of very unequal sizes, there being quite a number of large half bulls in the flock. 

 In driving, the various sizes become somewhat sorted, inasmuch as the younger and more agile seals 

 keep well to the front, while the large and fat half bulls bring up the rear. Occasionally a few of 

 these are cut out and left behind — probably in all about 50. No other cutting out or culling is under- 

 taken while the driving is going on, and is practically impossible as long as the seals are driven in as 

 large flocks as these. On the other hand, the driving gang is too shorthanded to manage a large 

 number of small sections, as on the Commander Islands. After a moderate drive overland for about 

 three-qu.arters of an hour, the seals enter a series of shallow lakes, and now the progress is rapid. 

 At 5 a. m. the herd is halted just outside the salt house at Rocky Point, and the drive is over. 



It is noticeable that the seals are nearly as fresh at the end of the drive as at the beginning. The 

 younger seals are quite active; they walk about unconcernedly, and stand well up on their legs, while 

 the big ones commence to fight each other immediately upon the halt being made. Only one single 

 seal dropped voluntarily out of the line on the road, viz, a large and particularly fat half bull that 

 got tired very early. 



The killing gang arrived from the village in two boats a little after 7 a. m. Six men with nicely 

 finished hickory clubs did the killing while the others were skinning. Mr. True and I took the tally 

 of each of the first ten "pods" of seals as they were separated off from the big herd to be killed. 

 These "pods" consisted of from 15 to 40 seals, averaging about 25. Of these the killing gang clubbed 

 to death those which appeared to come within the required size; the others, being either too large or 

 too small, were allowed to escape to the beach close by. About 50 per cent were thus turned away, 

 about one-half consisting of too small seals, the other half of too large ones. The killing was over 

 at 10.30 a. m., about 500 skins having been secured. It is to be noted that no female was observed 

 among the seals driven. 



