INVESTIGATION OP THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 45 



to lie so much lower and closer to the danger of "surf nips/' which 

 thev naturally and instinctively avoided heretofore, in 1874, and 

 again in 1890 ? ' 



There is an answer, and it is this : From 1896 to date they have been 

 hunted from above at the margins, as the holluschickie began to haul 

 in between the harems for shelter and relief from the native drivers of 

 the lessees. 



The first work of this kind in 1890 was stopped on July 20 of that 

 season, and was not resumed until 1894. When the modus vivendi 

 of 1890-1893 ended, as it began in 1891, then this improper 

 search for the holluschickie was renewed by the lessees annually, up 

 to the date of their last killing in 1909. Then in 1912 began the last 

 and most improper driving of these harems, as done by George A. 

 Clark, for Dr. Jordan: he says that he drove all the harems up be- 

 tween August 1-10, 1912, from their locations, to the high lands in 

 the rear, so as to "count" the "bunched" small black and newly born 

 pups left behind their parents in this mad scramble and smothering 

 rush. That disturbance prior, and since, by this driving has caused 

 those "pocket harems" to get closer and closer to the water, so that 

 now, to-day, no one can get in between them and the surf at any time, 

 and so surprise and drive them. 



This survey which we have just finished here on St. George Island 

 of all of these Pribilof rookeries seems to confirm the opinion that 

 this constant disturbance of the breeding seals, at the very time that 

 they should be left alone of all times, is wrong; for it is done when 

 they are still busy and nervous with their reproductive burdens and 

 instincts, as they lie scattered on the rookeries here between August 

 1 and 15 following. Not only do the proofs appear that this 

 "scientific" disturbance drives the seals down to the water's edge 

 near the surf when they locate anew in the following year, instead of 

 going higher above it, as they used to do, but the St. George's log 

 shows clearly that it is impossible to "count" all of these pups, 1 

 and that it is only an estimate after all; no better than the cow "count " 

 or estimate, as we have made it to-day. Taking a cow "count" at 

 the height of the season this year with due allowance for cows which, 

 with pups, are absent, and locating the harems as we have on these 

 charts accompanying this description, enables one next year to do 

 as we have done, and to follow and relocate all harems as they may 

 appear again on the same ground; and, as they shall increase, so that 

 ground will expand. If they decrease, that ground will be dimin- 

 ished in area. This shows at a glance as well if not better than 

 any attempt to get at exact numbers, which, in fact, never can be 

 ascertained by any man. When they shall have increased so as to 

 overflow these boundaries of 1890, on the annexed charts, then it 

 will be time to talk about killing "surplus" male life; and also when 

 it does reach those boundaries of 1890, eventually to attain those of 

 1874, then no living man can "count" the pups, or "count" these 

 seals. If he wants to know from that hour whether this herd is 

 increasing or diminishing as they kill the seals annually, he will 

 only know it as this ground occupied by them expands or retracts 

 from the lines it occupies this year, as compared with those of last 

 year. 



1 See official entries in Exhibit G, postea, showing the impossibility and the futility of attempt to count 

 all the live pups on any rookery. 



