The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-06-16
How the Fur Seals of the Behring Sea Are
Driven TO the Killing Grounds.

Drlven 10 the Killing Grounds.
The method followed by the native,
of st. Paul's and st. Georges Islands
off the Alaska coast, in capturing the
fur seals, is curious. During the sum
mer season the seals frequent the shore
of these islands and gather on the beach
in vast numbers. The younger male
or bull seals are the only ones that are
killed, and they are found assembled
by themselves away from,the brooding
rookeries. The natives go down to
the beach in early morning and quietly
surround group of hundred or more
seals, getting between them and the
water. The seals are then alarmed
with shouts and cries, and, terrified,
flee inland along the only way left open.
They are driven in this way to the
killing place near the village on the
shores of the island Driving them is
a very easy thing, although it takes
them some time to accomplish the dis
tance; but they blunder along, stimu-
lated by the cries of their captors
The old bull seals that may be in the
drove are apt to show fight, but if they
do they are allowed 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 the east landing and
the village, and almost under the
windows of the dwellings, are herded
there until cool and rested. The drives
are usually made very early in the morn
ing, at the first breaking of day, which is
half-past or 2 o'clock of June and
July of these latitudes. They arrive
and cool off on the slaughtering grounds,
so that by 6 or Z o'clock, after .break-
fast, the able-bodied male population
turn out from the village and 90 down
to engage in tie work of slaughter.
The men are dressed in their ordinary
working garb of thick flannel shirts,
stout cashmere or canvas pants, over
which the "tarbossa" boots are drawn {;
ii it rains they wear their "kamlaikas,"
made of the intestines and throats of
the sea lion and fur SEAL Thus dress
ed, they are each armed with club,
stout oaken or hickory bludgeon, which
have been! made particularly for the
purpose at New London, Conn, and
imported here for this especial service.
These sealing clubs are about five or
six feet in length, three inches in diam
eter at the heads, and the thickness
OF mans forearm where they are
grasped by the hands. Each native has
his stabbing knife, his skinning knife,
and bis 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 appara
tus which they have for killing and
skinning.
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, and asub party at North
east point, where another salt-house
and slaughtering field is established
At the signal of the chief the work of
the day begins by the men stepping
into the drove, corralled on the flats,
and driving out 100 or $50 seals
at time, make what they call pod,
which they surround in circle, huddle
the seals one on another as they narrow
it down, until they are directly in reach,
and under their clubs. Then the chief,
after he has cast his experienced eye
over the struggling, writhing mass
passes the word that such and such a
seal is bitten and that such and such a
seal is too old the attention of his men
being called to these points, he gives
the word strike, and instantly the heavy
clubs come down all around, and
every one that is eligible is stretched
out stunned and motionless in less time
really than take to tell it. Those
seals spared by the chief now struggle
from under and over the bodies of their
insensible companions and pass, hustled
off by the natives, back to the sea.
Then the carcasses are skinned, and the
pelts prepared for shipment.
The common or popular notion in re-
gard to seal skins is that they are worn
by those animals just as they appear
when offered for sale; that the fur-seals
swim about, exposing the same soft
coat with which our ladies of fashion
so delight to cover their tender forms
during inclement winter. This is a
very great mistake few skins are less
attractive than is the seal skin when it
is taken from the creature. The fur is
not visible it is concealed entirely by
a coat of stiff overhair, dull, gray
brown, and grizzled, 1t takes three OF
them to make ladys sack and boa.
Fitting them for the market is a tedi-
Gus, costly process, requiring great
skill,
AS the summer wanes the seals for
sake the islands, and old and young
takes to the sea, and it is supposed
spend their intervening months, until
next season, on the fishing banks of the
North Pacifc.-EUiOt'S AlaSka Sea-
Fisheries.