Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-04-29

The number of seals taken annually is
restricted 10 one hundred thousand young
males, not under one year of age. and
policy prevents the killing of any bulls at
or over six
The seals are easily captured; their
captors the natives, reminding one of
butchers as they go into stock-yard to
select and drive out batch of bullocks,
for the method of procedure is precisely
similar.
70 the right and left of the breeding
grounds stretch sand-beaches, or some
convenient landing, upon which the g hol-
luschickie," or the bachelor seals, lie by
ems of thousands, extended in every atti-
tude assumed by them in fitful sleep or
animated sport, and down from the village
to these "hauling grounds " come the ma
tives, who after making Il survey of the
swarming myriads, step in among them
and turn aside from the masses two or
three thousand of the most eligible ami
mafs, usually males of not over four years
old and not under two. This drove which
they have selected is driven to the village
as flock of sheep would be, the animals
moving in u succession of sudden starts,
with frequent resting srells, at the rate OF
about half q mile an hour, provided the
weather is cool and toggy and the ground
hard. Seals can be driven at the rate of
Il mile an hour under peculiarly favorable
conditions of road and weather; but the
loss of life is great in Il large drove, so
many falling sensclcss, gasping and palpi-
tatmg, some to rise again within a few
hours. and others dying ut once
Only four or five men are required to
capture in this way a drove of from one to
even fifty Thousand, did they ever want Sc
many; and the labor of driving them over
land to the salt-houses near the village is
light, as the seals move without resistance
and require but little urging, only it should
lie constant and gentle. They string them
selves out in long files rs they travel. and
drove of four OF five thousand will stretch
over path more than n mile in length"
- When the seals are ready for killing,
fifteen or twenty men come down from
the village, armed with long heavy clubs
of hard wood They drive out to one side
fifty to a hundred seals from the body o.
the drove, surround them, causing the
seals to huddle up in a writhing, struggling
heap, and strike them lifelcss by well
directed blows upon the head, crushing in
the skull, the ineligible animals, such rs
are under age or in bad condition, being
allowed to escape; and in order that these
conditions of killing may be fully com
piled with, the butcher gang is always un
der the immediate supervision of an over
seer, who is always with the men directing
their movements In this way the whole
number of eligible seals in the drove i.
disposed of during the day. After three
i
the men lay aside their clubs, and imme
diately set about the work of skinning
for if the day is Il little warm the carcasse:
will heat and blast in Il few hours, so as t
iniure the quality Of the skin.
The natives become very expert in tn,
labor of skinning. some Of the leader:
taking the hide neatly from the body il
less than two minutes but the time aver
ages from four to FIVE minutes.
The skins are taken upto the salt t-house.
of the company. where they are spreaC
ont on benches or bins one upon the other
with salt profusely sprinkled over and OF
the tleshy sides, which are turned upper
most, and after lying in this pickle for 4;
week or two they are taken up from the
bins. and bundled. with fresh salt scattered
over, for shipment.
Upon these skins the company pay a ta2
of 50 per pelt, or S250,O0 annually
together with Il bonus of $4,000, making
with other small items. revenue from
these islands of over $500, 900 net
In closing this brief paper it may b'
we'll to mention the existence of two form:
of seal life on the Pribylov Islands Other
than the one Just spoken of, viz, the hail
seal (Phoca ritulina) and the sea-lion (Ctt
nct0PiaS Sei'erO, and, widely apart from
them, the walrus (Irichccus roSnlarHs).
The sea-lion closely resembles the flu
seal in form and habit, but is still quit,
widely different. 1t is the largest of til,
group, being over eleven feet in length
males weighing, when mature and fat, a
least twelve hundred pounds. 1t is polyg
amous. having usually eight to twelve fc
males, which are about half the weight o
the males, and not over eight or nine fee
in length. Not over twenty-five or thirt,
thousand will be found on the islands, bu
it is not restricted, like the fur seal, to th
land alone"