A DRIVE FROM GLINKA. 97 



On the whole the affair was conducted with care, although a certain hurry in order to get through 

 as soon as possible was quite manifest. This haste, probably due to a desire to be back in the distant 

 village before dinner, was responsible for the less deliberate way in which the "pods" to be killed 

 were cut out from the main herd. This resulted in great worry and consequent heating of the 

 remaining seals, which made it necessary to drive them repeatedly into the ice cold waters of an 

 adjacent pond in order to cool them off. This necessity was rather startling in view of the chilliness 

 of the atmosphere and the long rest enjoyed by the seals between the drive and the killing. 



Apart from its length — about 2 miles— this drive must be characterized as very 

 easy. An inspection of the ground over which the drives from some of the other 

 rookeries must travel impressed me, however, with the fact that not all the seals on 

 St. Paul Island are let off as easily. Mr. True also informs me that this impression 

 is correct, and that the drive we witnessed in company was rather easier than the 

 average. 



I will now submit a description of a few characteristic drives observed by me on 

 the Commander Islands. The first one (which took place during the palmy days of 

 the business on these islands) occurred on July 13, 1883. A thousand seals were to be 

 taken from the Pestshani hauling grounds (p. 63), Glinka, Copper Island, to iinish up 

 the catch of the season. 



We started out at 4 o'clock in the morning from Glinka, village. The weather was very 

 disagreeable. A wet, gray fog concealed everything, preventing us from seeing 20 paces ahead. 

 The thermometer indicated +43° F. The path, which in two places rises to over 800 feet above the 

 sea, with a drop of 500 feet and another rise of nearly 200 feet between them, was slippery in the 

 extreme, as the protracted rain had softened the clayey ground. After a very tiresome walk of nearly 

 an hour we halted on top of a third hill, where we had a pretty good view of Pestshani hauling 

 ground, as the fog had lifted somewhat by this time. The projecting point of the beach, so named, 

 was densely covered by a black mass of bachelor seals, which here haul' out by themselves in large 

 numbers apart from the breeding ground. When the last of the gang of about 20 men had arrived the 

 line of action was decided upon, the chief assigning to each man his duty, and the whole crowd ran 

 or slid down the steep grassy descent about 700 feet in one continuous slope. 



We approached the compact mass of bachelors rapidly. The nearest animals showed signs of 

 uneasiness upon our coming within 50 feet of them. The chief then ordered "Go ahead," and we all 

 made a rush to cut the big herd off from the sea. Those located near the water's edge were successfully 

 intimidated along the whole line and prevented from seeking safety in the sea; they fell back upon 

 those behind, thus effectually barring them, and soon the whole mass was surrounded and slowly moving 

 away from the water until stopped by the precipitous walls of the coast escarpment. The flock thus 

 secured consisted of about 2,000 bachelor seals of various ages. As rigorous orders had been received 

 not to accept skins under 8 pounds, the sorting would have to be very careful, hence the necessity of 

 a large number to select from. 



The whole regiment of seals were now divided into companies, which were driven slowly along 

 the escarpment to the steps built of driftwood (see i3g. b, pi. 58). These were ascended with but little 

 difficulty. Altogether, ten companies were formed, each driven by two men. A space of several 

 hundred yards was allowed between each section (pi. 77). 



The progress was slow, averaging less than a mile an hour. There was consequently good 

 opportunity to sort out any undesirable seals. Thus a number of undersized youngsters were allowed 

 to escape early in the drive. Before ascending the 700-foot slope mentioned above, a halt was made. 

 Soon, however, the climbing began. As may well be imagined, the ascent was very laborious. The 

 angle of the slope was at least 35 to 40 degrees, and the smooth grass and slippery clay made it almost 

 impossible to get a hold with the feet. The poor animals slid backward over and over again, and 

 when they finally succeeded the ground was made smoother and more difficult for those to follow. 

 Moaning, and blowing, and steaming, they press their smooth fore-flippers hard on the elusive clay, 

 and drag the hind part of the body after, while the men beat the ground with their long staves in 

 order to stimulate the animals to further effort. It happens rather frequently that a seal loses his 

 balance, and after a series of bounding somersaults lands at the foot of the hill, accompanied by the 

 15183— PT 4 7 



