206 INVESTIGATION- OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



I knew what I was talking about, and so did the lessees. They rejected the year- 

 lings and the short 2-year-olds. 



"June 27, 1890. The drive to-day from Middle Hill, Tolstoi, and Bobrovia Yama 

 (of Tolstoi near the point) panned out as follows: Total number driven 1,652; total 

 number taken 394. 



"Deduct 24 overcounted, leaves the whole number of animals driven 1,628; number 

 taken 394, or 78 per cent rejected. Nothing taken under a 6-pound or 'long' 2-year- 

 old skin. " 



Nothing was taken that day. 



" Sixteen of the 394 skins taken in the killing grounds, as above cited, were rejected, 

 in the salt house by the company's manager because thay were too small. They were 

 normal 2-year-olds, 52-pound skins. Perhaps they will be glad to get them later." 



They were. 



' ' June 28, 1890. The superb sealing weather still continues. The natives are bring- 

 ing up a small squad from the Reef as I write (5 p. m.). 



"The following are field notes of the podding and clubbing of drive from Reef and 

 Zoltoi Bluffs, June 28, 1890: 



"Whole number of animals driven, 1,417; number taken, 203, or 85 per cent 

 turned out. * * * Everything taken in this day's killing above a normal 2-year- 

 old * * * i. e., all 6-pound skins and upward. 



"June 30, 1890. The following are field notes of the podding and clubbing of drive 

 from Middle Hill, English Bay, Tolstoi, Lukannon, and Ketavie: 



"Whole number of animals driven, 1,262; number taken, 203, or 84 2 per cent re- 

 jected. * * * Everything taken that was above 5 2 -pound skin, under those of 

 the 5-year-olds and 'wigged' 4-year-olds. * * * How many of those yearlings 

 and 'short' 2-year-olds that were released this morning will again be driven before this 

 season ends? Nearly all of them. 



"July 1, 1890. The following are field notes of the podding and clubbing of drive 

 made from every section of the reef, everything in back of Zoltoi Bluffs, Garbotch, 

 and the entire circuit of the reef: 



"Whole number of animals driven, 1,998; number taken, 245, or 89 per cent re- 

 jected. Last drive from this place, June 28, when 85 per cent were rejected. Every- 

 thing taken over a 5-pound skin and under the ' wigged ' 4 and 5 year old. pelts. Ninety 

 per cent of the seals rejected to-day were yearlings." 



There are no yearlings on the islands now, we are told by these gentlemen. They 

 have disappeared; they have gone to sea. There is no loss from pelagic sealing there 

 now. 



"This is the largest number yet driven in any one drive from this place thus far this 

 season, and the catch among the smallest. The yearlings driven before, plus the new 

 arrivals, are making the ratio." 



The yearlings keep coming up and increasing this aggregate drive. 

 . "July 2, 1890. The following are field notes of the podding and clubbing of a drive 

 made from every section of Polavina and Stony Point: 



"Whole number of animals driven, 1,929; number taken, 230, or 88 2 per cent reject- 

 ed. There were also 10 "road" and "smothered" skins, which made a total of 240 

 taken; last drive from this place, June 25, when 800 animals were driven and 263 

 taken, or 65 per cent rejected. 



"This drive to-day covers a whole week's interval since the last drive from Pola- 

 vina, and it shows that as the season advances the numbers driven rapidly increase, 

 while the proportionate catch diminishes. In other words, the new arrivals, plus 

 those redriven, will continue to steadily swell the gross aggregate driven day by day 

 from now on, and not proportionately increase the catch. Rather, I believe that 

 the catch will markedly diminish. 



"To-day every good 2-year-old, every 3, and every "smooth " 4-year-old was knocked 

 down out of the 1,929 animals; every one. Where, at this rate of killing, is the new 

 blood left for the rookeries now so desperately needed there? Hardly a young bull 

 left, between the effects of driving and the deadly club, save a few hundred of those 

 demoralized and worthless half bulls, which I make note of as they come up in every 

 drive; and these, the natives truly declare, will never go upon the rookeries. 



"Thus far this season every seal that is eligible in weight,, from a "long" 2-year-old 

 male up to 5-year-olds, has been ruthlessly slain within a few days after its appearance 

 on these desolate hauling grounds of St. Paul Island . They were as ruthlessly knocked 

 down last vear, and to-day the yearlings and everything above to 5-year-olds would 

 be knocked down did not the new $10.22 tax per sealskin save their lives." 



They were afraid to take these yearlings, and they gave orders to let them alone. 

 They said, "They will not pay our taxes and our expenses." 



