The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-07-05
The Story of the Seal.

There is probably no part of the
earths surface, used for farming or
stock raising. that produces 80 hand
some a yleli to the acre as the narrow
beaches of the Prybilov islands in Beh.
rings strait. These are four i'm number.
st. Panl'sywith 81, 120 acres, St. George,
with about II, ,OU0 acres, Otter island. a
mile and half long and less than half n
mile wide, and Walrus island, a mere
fiat rock, rising but little above the surf.
quarter of n mile long and a hundred
yards wide. The first two have together
saventy-one miles of coast line, but so
much of the shore is bold and rocky
that only eighteen and three quarter
miles are visited by the seals.
On st. George several thousand sea
lions have taken possession of half a
mile more of landing. The beaches on
which they breed are narrow reaches of
sand varying from forty to $50 feet
wide, and covering total area of 6, ,3S7,-
$40 square feet, or not quite lat acres.
On this area about 100, ZOO seals are
killed yearly, worth s700,OOO. This is
yield of 81, 1852 an acre. The United
States government obtains from these
islands rental of $55,OOO yearly and
1852, 500 for 100, 1000 sealskins. This is
taxing these barren sand beaches to the
amount of 81, $50 per acre. Figures
like these deserve consideration, for it
is only by such computations that the
value Of fisheries to the country will
ever be made apparent. In the present
case it is satisfactory TO know that the
government tax is blessing to the
world.
Tho. total number of seals which
II
puted at 3,293,670, and before the re-
.strlctions placed on the hunt by govern
ment they Wore killed at the rate of
240, 900 monthly. This would have ey-
tlrpated them in less than five wears.
Now the number is limited to 100 600 a
year, and they are said by some obser
vers to be increasing at the rate of five
per cent. annually. The above number
does not include those which are killed.
but the breeding community which is
preserved. OF non-breeders, the num-
ber is estimated ut 10000 so that
the total seal population is about 4, TOO =
000
The male seals land first, in the latter
part of April usually, or in May. They
always choose for their resting grounds
or "rookeries" such beaches as are
strewn with large powders, where the
new born seals can have some protection
against the sweep of the surf On land
ing they give themselves up entirely to
sleeping, but meanwhile keep n sharp
lookout to prevent young bachelors and
old weak patriarchs from coming to the
rookery. This system Of natural selec-
tion is advantageous to the race and to
their human pursuers also. 1t keeps
the stock strong and hardy and sends the
bachelors of less than six years (the age
of maturity to haul themselves up at
some other point, where they collect TO-
gether and can be readily herded by the
hunters without alarming the breeders.
The females do not land for q month
after, and are then taken possession of
by the male nearest to the point at which
they leave the water. The selection is
not made without tremendous fighting,
and some of the old seals are wounded
and killed, or driven off. Prof. Elliott
says 1t appears to be we'll under
stood principle among the able bodied
bulls that each one shall remain undis-
turbed on his ground, which is usually
about ten feet square, provided that he
is strong enough to hold it against all
comers. Some of these bulls show won
derful strength and courage. 1 have
marked one veteran, who was among the
first to take up his position, and that
one on the water line, where at least fifty
or sixty desperate battles were fought
victoriously by him with nearly as many
different seals, who coveted his position,
and when the fighting season was over