The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-03-09

Oh the COWS, anu the Oi0dtlDS OI Cnc young
form such a din of tumultuous utterances
that the united clamor of the vast assem-
blage can be heard on a calm day for
miles at sea. They live on fish, cuttles,
crustaceans, and seafowl. The manner
in which they capture the latter displays
no little cunning. When in pursuit, the
sea lion dives deeply under water, and
swims to some distance from where it
disappeared; then, rising cautiously, it
exposes the top of its nose above the sur
face, at the same time giving it rotatory
motion, like that of water insect at
play. AS the unwary bird alights to
catch it, the animal sinks momentarily
beneath the waves, and then, rising, at
one bound seizes its screaming and star
tied prey.
THE sea lions are taken and killed as
follows: Selecting semi-moonlight
night, the natives, in party, stealthily
approaching the herd, and crawling on
hands and knees, manage to get be-
tween them and the water. At given
signal, they all at once jump on their
feet, yell, brandish their arms, etc, and
so alarm the animals that they are afraid
to pass the Gordon of men and take to the
sea, and thus are urged inland, and
driven into small pens, where they are
detained until two or three hundred are
assembled. Those which are beyond the
line of the 6attue of course escape; and
instances have been known OF their div
ing, in their sudden terror, from height
of sixty feet into the sea, without APP
parently sustaining any injury.
ITO collect the desired number of sea
lions occupies several days, and to drive
them to their destination-the killing
and sailing station-five or six more; for
their progress on land is so slow and
awkward that they cannot be made to
travel more than two or three miles in
twenty four hours. At first they will
often look threatening and defiant, but
generally retreat from the approach of
man, if not opposed in their efforts to es-
cape. The sea lion is, however, rather
dangerous ANIMAL and the men are often
seriously hurt whilst driving it. Form
erly, the implement employed to scare
and guide them was pole with flag
at the end of it, with which they were
driven like a flock of geese or ducks
along an English country road; but
American ingenuity has recently brought
into use for this purpose the cotton UNI
brella, and it is said that any refractory
sea lion is instantly subdued by the sud-
den expansion and closing of the CAMP
in the hands of the pursuing native.
1 "After the drove of sea lions has been
brought to the village, the animals are
huddled together in a crowd, and, whilst
impeding one another by treading on
each others f1ippers, the small ones are
speared and the larger ones shot.
"By the Aleuts and Kamschatkans,
the 'seevitchie, as they call it, is highly
priced. The annual sea lion drive is to
them that which the buffalo hunt is to
the redskins of the prairies. They con-
slider its dark flesh palatable and nutri-
tious, and the meat of the young cub is
said to be juicy and tender, and some
thing like veal in flavor. That which is
not required for immediate use is either
stored and kept fresh for time in under
ground vaults, or cut in thin strips, and
dried in the open air for winter food.
The hide is used in making covers for
houses and boats. Many skins, care
fully joined together, are stretched whilst
wet over wooden frames of proper shape,
and barges, called 'bidarrahs,' of con-
siderable size-even Of twenty tons bur-
den-are thus constructed. To prepare
them for this purpose, the skins are
spread, as soon as taken from the ami
NAL, in piles of twenty-fiv each, and left
to heat till the hair is lOosened. 1t is
then scraped off, and the pelt stretched
on frames to dry.
"On the coast of Siberia, Kamschatka,
and the Island of Saghalen, thongs of
Sea lions skins are used for making seal
nets. The salmon which swarm in the
inlets and rivers of those Asiatic regions
are followed by herds of seals, which
prey upon them as they ascend the
streams. The natives set their strong
nets in places left nearly bare at low
tide; free passage is given by the size OF
the mesh to the shoals of fish, but the
pursuing seal are entangled by the head,
and held in the mcshes till low water,
when their captors 90 out to them in
their flat bottomed hide boats, and dis
patch them with clubs. The prepared
hide is also used as harness for siedge-
dogs and reindeer, and, when dressed
aud made pliable by rolling in the hands,
for the soes of mocassins. The soft skins
of the young are used for clothing.
"From the double coating of fat or
blubber, separated by thin layer of
muscular tissue, and lying between the
skin and the flesh Of the body, is pro-
duced, by boiling and pressure, oil Of
excellent quality, though somewhat in
ferior to that of the sea elephant. An
adult male sea lion will yield about for
A., sralIona Of fhis oil The residue af-