Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-10-18
Capturing Sea Lions in Alaska

A singular method is annually employed
by the natives of st. Paul's Island. Alaska,
for the capture of the sea lion. Here is an
island which, instead of presenting an al
! the sea like its fellows in the North Pacif
| ic, offers 10 the landing seals a low, though
gradually rising ground. Taking advan-
tage of this topography, the natives of st.
Paul's Island 81 cure every season hundreds
of sea lions, with but a tithe of Che labor
and exposur by which their capture is at
tended at other places. Eleven miles north
east from the village on St. Paul's Island
is point upon which large number of
sea lions annually repair for the purpose
of breeding. ETC., but as this animal is
tirnid, and sure to take to water when
brought into the presence of man, it's cap
ture requires much discretion on the part
Of it's captors, who are chosen every season
from the village people, with especial re-
ference to their physical qualifications for
the work. The ''sea-ricllie," as the natives
name them, cannbt be approached success
fully by daylight; SO the hunters, ten or
twelve in number, rendezvous in hut
near by until a favorable night comes on,
Wien the moon is partially obscured by
drifting clouds and the wind blows in from
the rookery.
Then they step down to the beach, at
low water, and proceed to creep flat on all
tours over the surf-beaten sand and bowl
ders up to the doing herd and between
them and the water in this way small
body Of men crawling along in Indian file
may pass unnoticed by the sea lion sentries
which doubtless in the uncertain light
confound the forms Of their human enc
mics with those of seals. When the creep
ing natives have all reached the scrap of
beach which is left bare by ebb tide be-
tween the water and the unsuspecting an
imals, at given signal, the hunters leap
at once to their feet, shout, yell and BRAN
ish their arms while the astonished and
terrified lions roar and founder IN all di-
rections. If, at the moment Of surprise,
the brutes are sleeping with their heads
pointed toward the water they charge
straight on in that way, directly over the
men; but if their heads have been resting
pointing landward, they follow that course
as desperately, and nothing will turn them
at first, either one way or the etheI.
Those who charge for the water are lost,
of course, but the natives promptly follow
up the land leaders with rare combina-
tion of horrible noises and demoniacal ges-
ticulations until the first frenzied squirt
and exertions of the terrified animals COM
pletely exhaust them, and then, painting.
gasping, prone upon the earth, they are
extended at the mercy of their captors;
who gently urge them along up to the hut
in which they have been keeping watch
during several days past, for the night in
which to make this effort. Here the ma
tiyes have what they call their pen or cage
in which the lion-like seals, as they are
captured from night to night, are collec-
ted and retained until sufficient numbers
OR drove Of three or four hundred has
been secured. This cage is nothing more
than succession OF small poles stuck at
wide intervals over a circle, in the ground;
these poles are decked with fluttering
strips of white cotton cloth. and light
ropes are loosely stretched from one to the
other.
Within this flimsy circle the sea lions |
are securely imprisoned, and though in
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 |
in saucer Henry ". El- |
hot IN Scribaaer for October.