72 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
the I)ig 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-hull 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 
linished oaken clubs did the killing while the others were skinning. Mr. True and 1 took the tally 
of each of the first ten “pods” of seals as they were separated oft’ from the big herd to be killed. 
These “i>ods” 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 re(]uired 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. 
On the whole the aftair was conducted with care, although a certain hurry in order to get through 
as soon as possible was quite manifest. This haste, ]irobably due to a desire to lie back in the distant 
village before dinner, was responsible for the less deliberate way in which the “]iods” to be killed 
were cut out from the main herd. This resulted in great worry and consequent heating of the remain- 
ing seals, which made it necessary to drive them re]>eatedly into the ice-cold waters of an adjacent 
])ond in order to cool them oft'. 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 cliaracterized as very 
easy. An inspection of the ground over which the drives from some of the other rook- 
eries must travel impressed me, howevei’, with the fact that not all the seals ou 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 descriptiou 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 ou these islands) ocem red ou July 13, 1883. A thousand seals were to 
be talven from the Pestshaui hauling-grouuds (p. 49), Glinka, Oopjier Island, to finish 
up the catch of the season. 
We started out at 4 o’clock in tlie morning from Glinka village. The weather was very dis- 
agreeable. A wet, gray fog concealed everything, jireventing us from seeing 20 paces ahead. The 
thermometer indicated -f43° F. 'the ]iath, which in two jilaces 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 liad softened the clayey ground. After a very tiresome walk of nearly an hour we 
halted on top of the third hill, where we had ;i pretty good view of Pestshaui hauling-ground, as the 
foghad lifted somewhat by this time. The projecting ]ioiut of the beach, so named, w^as densely covered 
by a black mass of bachelor seals, which hero haul out by themselves in large numbers a]iart from the 
breeding-ground. When the last of the gang of about 20 men had arrived the line of action w.as 
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 audslowly moving 
away from the water until stopped by the precipitous walls of the coast escariiment. The fiock 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 fig. 6, 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. 
The jn-ogress was slow, averaging less than a mile an hour. There was consequently good oppor- 
