West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-10-19
Capturing Sea.Llons in AInska.

From an illustrated paper by Henry
! W. Elliot, in SS7fbher, for October. We
copy the following:
"A singular method is annually en-
Pioyed by the natives OF 1T. Paul's Is-
lapi, Aleska,A Tor the capture of the
sea- lion. Here is an island which. In.
stead ol presenting an almost unbrokcn
lne OF bold, abrupt cliffs to the sea. like
lts fellows in the-North Pacific. offers to
the landing seals low, though gradually.
rising ground, Taking advantage of this
topography; the natives of st. Paups
Island secure every, season hundreds of
sea,llonS with but tithe of the labor
and exposure by which their CAPTURE is
attended NJ other PLACES. Eleven miles
northeast from the village on ST. Paups
island is 3 point upon which large
number OF sea-lions annually repair for
| The purposes of breeding. etc. bur as
tins animal is timid, and sure 10 take to
wafer when brought into the presence
nj man, its capture tequircs much dis.
creton aud. beldness on the. part of It's
captors, who are chosen every season
from tile village people, with especial
reference to their physical qualification
for the work. The g sea richie" as the
natives name them, cannot be an
preached successfully by DAYLIGHT: so
the, hunters, ten or ytwelVe i'm number
rendezvous in hutlnear ny until a fa.
vorabie night comes on. when the moon
ispartiaily obscured la drifting clouds
and the wind blows iIi from the rookery
Then they step down, TO the beach. at.
low water, and proceed 10 creep fat ON
all fours over the surf5beaten sand and
bowlders up to the dazing herd and be-
tween them and the water; i'm this wav
q small body of men crawling along in
| indian hle may pass unnoticed by the
sea-lion sentries which doubtless i'm the
uncertain light cOnfound the forms of
their human enemies with those of seals
When the creeping natives have all
reached the strip of beach which ~ left
bare by ebb tide between the water and
the lpnsuspectin9 animals, at a given
signal the hunters leap at once to their
feet, shout, yell, and brandish their arms
whilel the astonished ana terrified lions
roar and founder in all directions If
~ the moment of surprise, the brutes are
sleeping with their heads pointed toward
the wator, they charge straight on i'm
; lhat way, directly over the men; but il
thelr heads have been resting pointed
""'Ni .NH'l lbilOW iudl course luSt
As desperately, and nothing Will turn
them, At first, either one way or the
other Those who charge for the water
are lost, of course, but the natives
promptly follow up the land leaders
with rare combination of horrible
noises and demoniacal gesticulations
until the first frenzied squirt and exer
tons of tie terrified animals completely
exhaust them, and then, painting, gasp
ing, prone upon the earth, they are ex-
tended 1t the mercy of their cunning
captors, who gently urge them along up
20 the hut in which thew have been
keeping watch during several days past.
Tor the night. in which 10 make this
effort: Here the natives have what they
call their pen or cage, In which the lion.
hike seals rs they are captured from
night to night, are collected and re-
tnned until sufficient numbers or a
drove OF three or four hundred has been
SECURED. This cage is nothing more
than succession of small poles stuck at
WIDE intervals over circle, i'm the |
ground; ] these poles are dccked with |
hutteTipg, strips of white cotton cloth,
and light ropes are loosely stretched |
from one 10 the other. Within this |
hlusy circle the sea lions are securely |
imprisoned, and though incessantly !
watched by two or three men, they
scarcely make an effort to escape, but
their roaring,iaalmost deafening, while
they constantly yrithe and twist over
and against one another like handful
oi angIe-worms in saucer.