The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-05-28
CATCHING SEALS.

The purchase of Alaska by the United
States Government in 1867 gave Ameri
: can merchants and ship-owners new anC
valuable opportunities for the capture o
seal. In consequence of the reckless de
struction of these animals in regions
open to all who chose to hunt them
comparatively few are now to be found
elsewhere than on this coast, where they
have been preserved from determination
through the care of company which
under the Russian Government enjoyed
the monopoly of their capture. When,
in 1867, negotiations were in progress
for the purchase of Alaska, Mr.. Haven,
a merchant of New London, CORE
sponded with Secretary Seward to learn
if citizens of the United States would be
free to hunt seal in that Territory when
its transfer was completed. Learning
that they would have the desired priv.
lege, Alaska was no sooner coded than
Mr.. Haven dispatched two vessels thith-
er, equipped with the necessary crew
and appliances for hunting seal. Sitka
being the only port of entry, they re.
ported there to Gen. Jefferson G. Davis,
in command. With his approval they
pushed out to St. Paul Island, the great
sealing ground, two hundred and fifty
miles from the mainland. There they
effected the first landing after the pur-
chase, and raised the first American flag.
AS a result of their venture they soon
had $4,000 seal-skins ready for ship
ping.
Within a short time there were Cali
fornians and others on the Alaska seal
ing grounds, but after while combi-
nation was formed between Eastern and
Western ship-owners, and a lease, dated
August, 1870, of st. Paul and St. George
Islands, was obtained by them from the
Government, with the exclusive right of
seal-catching, under certain restrictions.
These two islands are quite isolated, be-
ing thirty miles apart, and are little
more than barren rocks of the Aleutian
range, running from the coast of Alaska
toward Kamtchatka. A small popula-
ton, principally of native Aleutians, a
people essentially Esquimaux, occupy
these islands, and pursue the seal
fishery.
The men work in parties at their seal
killing, being paid according to the
number of seals killed. 1t is said that a
skillful Aleut will skin fifty day. Not
only are young seals and females ex-
empt from slaughter, but no seals are
killed at their ''rookeries," or gathering
places on the coast. They must first be
driven or coaxed to the "killing
grounds " in the interior of the islands,
out of sight and out of scent of the coast.
This precaution is necessary because of
the peculiar sensitiveness and timidity
of the seal. "Very strange are these
SEAL" says DR.. Kane, in recording his
first killing of one in the polar seas; ga
countenance between the dog and the
mild African ape-an expression so like
that of humanity that it makes gun
murderers hesitate" "Have natural
lists ever noticed the expression of this
animals phzi?" he asks, as he tells of
the dying look given him by his first
victim. Curiosity, contentment, pain,
reproach, despair, even resignation,
thought saw ON this seals face"
Although the male seals will fight
manfully in defense of the females when
cornered, the discharge of firearms, the
barking of a dog, the tainting of the
water around them with the blood of
one of their number, or even the smell
of lighted tobaboo, is sometimes suffi.
Gent to drive them from their rookeries.
And driving them away permanently
means their determination, for if thew
can not come back to the waters where
they were born they cease to increase.
An illustration of this truth is found in
the story of sealing on Kerguelen Land,
after the seals were newly discovered
there some years ago. So abundant were
the seals at first that as many as 1,70O,-
600 were killed in single year by the
vessels flocking thitherfrom all quarters.
But in the space of three years they
were practically exterminated, there not
being enough left to make their catching
remunerative. On the Alaska islands
however, the rigid regulations concern.
ing the taking of seals are enforced moi
only by the presence of resident Gov
eminent inspectors, but by the obviou.
interests of those engaged in the work
AS a result, more than two-thirds of al
the seals now taken in the world ar,
taken from those islands; and there
they are on the increase. At first tn,
fur seals were killed in immense number
by the Russians. At one time tire
hundred thousand skins were destroyed
in order that the market might not b
overstocked. 1t was only when thei
numbers were greatly diminished tina
the number annually killed were limite'
and the other mentioned restriction
were imposed.
On the coasts of New Foundland tn
decline of the seal fishery, which at on
time ranked in Importance almost wit
the herring and the cod, has been grea
misfortune. Formerly, however pitiabl
and destitute the poor classes might b
during the winter, after St. Valentine
day things would take sudden turr
The busy sound of axes and hammer
would reverberate from the hillside
around the harbor, and not a rotten oil
schooner, brig, or lugger which coul