Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-05-03
For the Waterman.
The Fur Seal.

the Fur Seal Fishing business is carefully com
piled from Official sources by a valued correspon-
dent, and will he read with the highest interest
and profit hy our readers. We hope for other
articles of a like character
For more than a century the fur seal has been
eagerly sought in all parts Of the world, and its
skin has during that time been used as an article
Of clothing in Europe and Asia, to a greater OF
less extent among all classes. During the latter
half Of the 18th century the seal market was
supplied almost exclusively from the southern
hemisphere From 1895 to 1900 Dcsolation ISL
and in the Indian Ocean, latitude 800 south, Ion.
gitudc 20, east, was the point whence the greater
part Of the skins offered in the European and
Chinese markets were obtained. This island alone
Is said to have yielded over one million skins,
hut as the slaughter was conducted without re
ference to the perpetuaton Of the species, migra-
ton was the result. About the year $500 the ISL
and of NIassatucro of the west coast Of South
America near latitude $50 south, longitude 500
west, was visited and for several years i0 600 70
50 coo skins were annually obtained. The kill
ing being Unrestricted this source ultimately fail
cd and the animal was next found on several ISL
ande in the vicinity of Cape Horn. lndiscrimi-
nate slaughter Of both males and females fol-
lowed, and the rookeries were broken up. In
the years 1870 and 1921, it is estimated that over
900 900 skins were obtained from the FAX land
and Shetland Islands The seals next appeared
on the South Georgia islands, where they were fol-
lowed by the hunters, and in few years over one
million were killed, and the animals almost ami
Inflated in the southern hemisphere the only
place where they are preserved being small ISL
and near the mouth Of the La Plata river 10 South
America This rocking, am informed, Yields
about 5000 skins annually under strict regulations
issued by the government. In the year 1854, sew
eral thousand seals were discovered on a small isl
and in Japan sea. They were however quickly
extcrminated. At the present time from 1000 to
5000 seals are annually captured in the Straits Of
san Juan de Fuca, ON the west coast Of British
Columbia, and from 5000 to 10 900 on Copper and
Behring's Islands near the Siberian coast. Re
yond these points the seals resort in any consider
able numbers only to the islands Of st Paul and
ST. George in Behring's sea.
ST. PAUL ,ND st. GEORGE ISLANDS.
These islands, together with three or four smaller
ones, lcalled the Pri5iloo Group, are situated in
latitude 81 north, and longitude l70s west, and
about 300 miles north from the Aeutan Archi-
pelago. and 700 miles south from Behring'
Straits They are separated by distance of thirty
three miles and have no communication with each
other, except by means of IN occasional vessel
that touches at both. st. Paul, the larger and
more northerly Of the two, is about sixteen miles
long and about seven miles wide and has an area
Of some / Il square miles The beach is generally
low and rocky and the island diversified By noun
tains and plains is destitute Of vegetation, ex-
cept rank grasses common to all the Aleutiu
Islands The volcano Of polovenia Sopka, (hali
, way mounnin), some 1000 feet high, has mol
long been extinct, and the general appearance o
the island would indicate that it has been recently
formed. The island Of st. George is about eigh
miles long by six miles wide, and comprises ar
area OF some A. square miles Its features ar,
the same as those Of ST. Paul Island, except that
the shores are holder and the traces Of volcanic
action not as distinctly marked. The ayerag,
temperature of the group is about 80 =. aboy,
zero, or about so in the warm and 25S in tn,
cold season. 10 the winter vast masses of ice
form upon the islands, and Behring's Sea be
comes frozen over az far south as this latitude &
that in the coolest seasons white bears and foxes
come here On the ice from the north. The former
are Immediately killed by the natives, while the
latter have become mixed with the blue foxes pre-
yiously inhabitng the islands to such extent that
neither variety is TO be found pure at the present
day, and the skins Of such as are produced are
almost worthless These animals with the seal,
are the only ones TO be found on the islands
The natives are an honest, industrious, Chris
tian people but owing to the barren, unproduc
tive nature OF the soil and the lack Of all availa
Die building MATERIAL their condition could scarce
ly be more unenyiable Their dwellings are al
most entirely subternnean, damp, unyentilated
lnsuhciently lighted, and Of course unhealthy
The native population comprises pa OF
e st Paul aud l27 on st. George Island
!. DESCRIPTION AND HABITS or TIE sE.L
., The fur seal sea bear (arctocephalus ursinus
= is an amphibious animal Of the mammalian order
classed in the Phec,aoan family, and in the sub
} family Aretocephdhna. The male reaches its full
l. growth about the sixth year, when it is seven +
nine feet long six to seven feet ia circumference
I and weighs from COO to | 800 pounds Its hal
n is OF dark brown color with gray tips and il
fur shorter than the hair, fine and woolly, and 0
70 reddsh-brown color. The female is mucl
st smaller than the male, measuring only about fiy
n feet in length and three in circumference, an,
re weighing from one to four hundred pounds
- is, therefore, readily distinguishable from tn
male Owing to its much greater size the NAL
- has perfect control Of the female and obliges he
Il by superior strength to yield the most perfec
II obedience
J. The habits of the fur seal are peculiar, and il
n considering the action necessary to their protec
ton, deserve careful attention From the state
ments Of the employees Of the late Russian Amer
+ can Company, the information derived from tn
e intelligent native chief of st. Paul Island, an
10 my own observation during the summer of 1865
=. have reached the following conclusions Tn
seals reach the islands Of st. Paul and St. Georg
D" in May, June and July Of each year in the FOL
lowing order First, small number of old NAL
Is seals known lcgs, visit the islands very earl
IN the spring, or as soon the ice has melted su
TO- hciently to allow them 10 reach the rocks upo
the shore Their object at this time seems to
solely To reconnoiter their old roOkeries with
Us view to re-occupy them If they have not been d
es turbed, and the natives so understanding it, ayoi
to wind is in such direction as to carry the smok
"a from the settlement toward the rookeres, all fir,
are extinguished. After few days these pioneer
." take their departure, and as the season advances
III IL they have been undisturbed on the occasion
es their first visit, they return bringing with ther
all the males of mature age above Eve or six yea
DID, who are able to maintain their places in Ill
breeding rookeres. Climbing up on the rock
u each seal selects his position and takes possesso
ce OF and occupies through the season, if sufficient
er strong from one to three square rods Of groun,
so Still later in the season. when the ice has near
a, disappeared, the females arrive, conveyed By tn
young males above one year Of age, who are III
o able to occupy the rookeres with their senior,
N The females, Immediately on reaching the shor
" are appropriated by the old males and taken
d, the places respectively selected by them for tn
i. season. which is generally the same for mar
successive years. 1t is asserted that the san
=. male seal has been known to occupy one rock f
It. more than twenty seasons. The Jung seals abo,