The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-14
Capturing Sea.lliOns In Alaska.

81. IaulS Island, Alaska, instead OF pre-
scnting an almost unbrokcn line Of bold,
abrupt cliffs to the sea, like its follows in
the North Pacific, offers to the landing seals
a low, though gradual rising ground. TAX
ing advantage of this topography, thcnativcs
of st. Pauls Island secure every season
hundreds of sca-lions, with but tithc of
the labor and exposure by which their Cap
turc is attended at other places. Eleven
miles northeast from the village on st.
Paul's Island is point upon which a large
number of sca-lions annually repair for tho
purposes of breeding, etc, but as this AMI
NAL is timid, and sure to take to water when
brought into the presence Of man, its cap
turc requires much discretion and boldncss
Oh the part of its captors, who arc chosen
every season from the village people, with
especial reference to their physical qualfi-
cation for the work. The 'sca richie" as
the natives name them, cannot be approach
ed successfully by daylight ; SO the hunters,
ten or twelve in number, rendezvous in Il
hut near by until a favorable night comes
on, when the moon is partially obscurcd by
drifting clouds and tho wind blows in from
the rookery. Then they step down to the
beach, at low water, and proceed to creep
flat on all fours over the surf-bcaten sand
boulders up to the doing herd and between
them and tho water; in this way small
body of men crawling along in Indian file
may pass unnoticcd by the sca-lion scntrics
which doubtless in the uncertain light con-
found the forms of their human enemies
with those of seals. When the creeping ma
tiycs have all reached the strip of beach
which Is left bare by cbb tide between the
water and the unsuspcctng animals, at n
given signal, the hunters leap at once to
their feet, shout, yell and brandish their
arms while the astonishcd and terrified lions,
roar and founder in all directions. If, at
the moment Of the SURF rise, the brutcs 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 pointed landward,
they follow that course just 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 dcmoniacal gcsticulations until the first
frcnzicd squirt and eXcrtions of the terrified
animals completely exhaust them, and then,
panting gasping, promo upon the earth, they
arc extended at the mercy of their cunning
captors, who gently urge them along up to
thc nut III which they have been keeping
watch during several days past, for the night
in which TO make this effort. Here tho aa-
tivcs have what they call their pen or cage,
in which the lon-ilic seals, as they arc cap
turcd from night to night, arc collected and
retained 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, in the ground; these poles are
dcckcd with tluttcring strips OF white cotton
cloth, and light ropes arc loosely stretched
from one to the other. Within this ninsy
circle the sca-lions arc securely imprisoned,
aud though necessarily watched by two or
three men, they scarcely make an effort to
escape, but their roaring is almost dcafcning
while they constantly writhc and twist over
and against one another like handful of
angle worms in a saucer.