The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-06-16
A QUEER DROVE.
HOW FUR SEALS ARE CoRRALBD AND
DRIVEN TO THE KILLING GROUNDS.


DRIVEN TO THE KILLING GROUNDS.
The method followed by the natives OF
st. PauI's and St. Georges islands, on
the Alaska coast, in capturing the fur
seals is curious. During tie summer
season the seals frequent the shores OF
these islands and gather on the beach in
vast numbers. The younger male or
buIl seals are the only ones that are
killed, and they are found by themselves
away from the brooding roOkeries. The
native goes down to the bech in the ear
ly morning and quietly surrounds
grouu of hundred-or more seals, get
ting between them and the water. The
seals are then alarmed with shouts and
cries, and. terrified, flee inland along
the only way left open to them, They
are driven in this way to the killing
place near the village on the shores of
the island. Driving them is very easy
thing. although it takes them sometime
TO accomplish the distance; but they
blunder along, stimulated by the cries
of their captors. The old bull seals
that may be in the drove are apt 10
show fight, but if they do they are allow
ed to drop out of the crowd, as their
skins are worthless The younger ones
are as easy to drive as flock of sheep.
The seals, when finally driven up on
the flats between he east landing and
the village, and almost under the win
dows of the dwellings, are herded there
until cool and rested. The drives are
usually made very early in the morning
at the first break of day, which is half
past l and 2 O'Clock of June and July of
these latitudes. They arrive and cool
off on the slaughtering grounds. so that
by or z, after breakfast, the able-bod-
led male population turn out from the
village and go down and engage in the
work of slaughter. The men are dress
ed in their ordinary working garb of
flannel shirts, stout cashmere or canvas
pants, over which the ''tarbossa'' boots
are drawn if it rains they wear their
''kamlaikas'' made of the intestines and
throats of the seal lion and fur seal.
Thus dressed, they are each armed with
a club, stout hickory bludgeon. which
have been made particularly for the pur-
pose at New London, Conn, and i'm
ported here for this especial service.
These sealing clubs are about FIVE or six
feet in length, three inches in diameter
at their heads, and the thickness of a
mans forearm where they are grasped
by the hands. Each native also has his
stabbing-kife, his skinning knife and his
milestone these are laid upon the
grass convenient when the work of
Draining or knocking the seals down is
in progress. This is all the apparatus
which they have for killing and skins
ming.
When the men gather for work they
are under the control of their chosen
foreman or chiefs; usually on St. Paul,
divided into two working parties at the
village. ard a sub-party at a northeast
point, where another salt-house and
slaughtering field is established, AS
! the signal of the day begins by the men
/ stepping into the drove, corralled on the
/ flats, and driving out one hundred and
| one hundred and fifty seals at time.
| make what they call a pod, which they
/ surround in a circle, huddle the seals
| one on another as they narrow it down,
| until they are directly within reach and
| under their clubs. Then the chief, af-
| ter he has cast his experienced eye over
| the struggling, writhing mass, passes
| the word that such and such a seal IS
| bitten, that such and such a seal is too
| young. and that such and such a seal is
| too old the attention of the men being
| called to these points, he gives the word
/ strike. and instantly the heavy clubs
come down and every one that is eligi-
| ble is stretched out stunned and motion
less in less time really than l take to tel
it. Those seals spared by the chief now
struggle from under and over the bodies
OF their dead and unconscious cOmpan.
ions and pass. hustled off by the natives
back to she sea. Then the carcasses
are skinned and the pelts prepared for
! shipment.
The common or popular notion in re-
gard to sealskins is, that they are worr
by those animals just as the appear wheI
offered for sale that the fur seals SWIM
about, exposing the same soft coat will
which our ladies of fashion so delight Il
cover their tender forms during inclem
ent winter. This is very great mis-
take few skins are less attractive thar
is the seal skin when it is taken from
the creature. The fur is not visible
it is concealed entirely by coat of stiff
hair, dull, grey-brown and griZzed. [
takes three of them to make ladie
sacque and boa, Fitting them for tn
market is a tedious, costly process, re
quiring great skill,
As the summer wanes the seals for
sake the islands, and old and young tax
to the sea, and it is supposed spen
their intervening mouths, until mex