The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-10-12
Capturing Sea-LiOns in Alaska.


A singular method is annually en-
ployed by the natives of st. Paul's Is
land, Alaska, for the capture of the
sea-lion. Here is an island, which, in
stead of presenting an almost unbroken
line of bold, abrupt cliffs to the sea,
like its fellows in the North Pacific, Of
fers to the landing seals low, though
gradually rising ground. Taking adj
vantage of this topography, the natives
of st. Paurs Island secure every season
hundreds of sea-lions, with but 1.-THE
of the labor and exposure by which
their capture is attended at other
places. Eleven miles northeast from
the village on st. PauPs Island is q
point upon which large number of sea-
lions annually repair for the purposes
of breeding, etc., but as this animal is
timid, and sure to take to water when
brought into the presence of man, its
capture requires much discretion and
boldness on the part of its captors, who
are chosen every season from the viii
lage people, with especial reference to
their physical qualification for the
work. The sea-richie," as the ma
tives name them, cannot be APP
preached successfully by daylight so
the hunters, ten or twelve in number,
rendezvous in hut near by until IA
vorable night comes on, when the moon
is partially obscured by drifting clouds
and the wind blows in from the rock
cry. Then they step down to the beach
at low water, and proceed to creep flat
on all tours over the surf-beaten sand
and powders up to the doing herd
and between them and the water;
in this way q small body of men
crawling along in Indian file may pass
unnoticed by the sea-lion sentries which
doubtless in the uncertain light con-
found the forms of their human enemies
with those of seals. When the creeping
natives have reached the strip of beach
which is left bare by ebb tide between
the water and the unsuspecting animals,
at given signal, the hunters leap at
once to their feet, shout, yell and bran
dish their arms while the astonished
and terrified lions roar and founder in
all directions. If at the moment of sur
prise, the brutes are sleeping with
their heads toward the water, they
charge straight on in that way, directly
over the men; but if their heads have
been resting pointed landward, they fol-
low that course Just as desperately, and
nothing will turn their heads, 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 de-
moniacal gesticulations until the first
frenzied squirt and eXertions of the ter
ritied animals completely exhaust them,
and then, painting, gasping, prone upon
the earth, they are extended at the mer-
cy of their cunning captors, who gently
urge them along up to the hut in which
they have been keeping watch during
the several days past, for the night in
which to make this effort. Here the
natives have what they call their pen
or cage, in which the lion-like seals, as
they are captured from night to night,
are collected and retained until suffi-
cient numbers or drove of three or
four hundred has been secured. This
cage is nothing more than a succession
of small poles stuck at wide intervals
over Il circle, in the ground; these poles
are decked with futtering strips of
white cotton cloth, and light ropes are
loosely stretched from one to the other.
Within this tlimsy circle the sea-lions
are securely imprisoned. and though
necessarily watched by two or three
men, they scarcely make an effort to
escape, but their roaring is almost
deafening, while they constantly writhe
and twist over and against one another
like handful of angle-worms in a sau-
cer.-Scrtbner for October.