The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-05
Capturing Soa-I.IOns In Alaska.

ST. Paul's Island, Alaska, instead of pre-.
scnting an almost unbrokcn line OF bold,
abrupt cliffs to tho sea, like its fellows in
the North Pacific, offers TO the landing seals
low, though gradual rising ground. TAX
ing advantage Of this topography, the natives
Of st. Paul's Island secure every season
hundreds Of sca-lions, with but tithc Of
the labor and exposure by which their cap
ture is attended at other places. Eleven
miles northeast from the village on st.
Paul's lsland'is point upon which Il large
number Of sea-lions annually repair for tho
purposes OF breeding, etc., but as this AM
NAL is timid, and sure to take to water when
brought into the presence of man, it's cap
ture requires much discretion and boldncss
on the part Of It's Captols, who arc chosen
every season from the village people, with
especial reference to their physical gualifi-
cation for the work. Tho 'sca richie" as
the natives namc them, cannot be approach
ed successfully by daylight so the hunters,
ten or twelve in number, rendezvous in
hut near by until favorable night comes
on, when the moon Is partially obscurcd by
drifting clouds and the wind blows in from
the rookcry. Then they step down to the
beach, at low water, and proceed to creep
flat on all fours over tho surf-bcatcn sand
boulders 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 unuoticcd 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
tives have all reached the strip of beach
which is left bare by cbb tide between the
water and the unsuspccting animals, Mt a
Ui hilO NJ y.>
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 surprise, the brutcs arc
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-lcadcrs
with rare combination Of horrible noises
and dcmoniacal gosticulations until tho first
frenzlcd squirt and cXcrti0ns Of the terrified
animals completely exhaust them, and then,
painting, gasping, prone upon the earth, they
are extended at the mercy Of their cunning
captors, who gently urge them along up to
the hut in which they have been keeping
watch during several days past, for tho night
in which to make this effort. Hero the M
tivcs have what they call their pen or cage,
in which the lion-likc 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
decked with tiuttering strips OF white cotton
cloth, and light ropes are loosely stretched
from one to the other. Within this flimsy
circle the sca-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 dcafcning
while they constantly wrlthc and twist over
and against one another like handful of
anglc-worms in saucer.