Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-06-09
A 6UEfa DROVE.
How the Fur Seals Of the Behring
Sea are GSrraled and Driven
TO the killing GrOhnd.
ElliOtt's Ala.k. Seal Fisheries.

Elliott's Alaska Seal Fisheries.
The method followed by the natives
of st. Paul's and st. Georges Islands,
of the Alaska coast, in capturing the
fur seals, is curious. During the sum
mer season the seals frequent the
shores 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 60 down to the beach in early
morning aud quietly surround a group
Of a hundred or moro seals, getting
between them and the water. The
seals are then alarmed with shouts
and cries, and terrified, fee inland
along the only way left open. They
are driven in this way to the killing
place near the village on the shores oil
the island. Driving them is a very
easy thing, although it takes them
some time 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 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 a
flock of sheep.
The seals, when finally driven up on
the fats between the east landing and
the village, and almost under the win
dows of the dwellins Is, are herded
there until cool and rested. The
drives are usually made very early in
the morning, at the first breaking of
day, which is half past one or two
o'clock of June and July of these
ATTITUDES. They arrive and cool off on
the slaughtering grounds, so tha, by
six or seven o'clock, after breakfast,
the able bodied male population turn
cut from the village and go down to
engage in the 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; if it rains they wear their
"kamlaikas," made of the intestines
and throats of the sea lion and fur
seal. Thus dressed, they are each
armed with a club, a 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 diameter at their heads,
and the thickness of mans forearm
where they are grasped by the hands.
Each native also has his stabbing
knife, 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 appa-
ratus which they have for killing and
skinning.
When the men gather for work they
are under tle control of their chosen
foreman, or chiefs; usually on St.
Paul, divided into two working par.
ties at the village, and a sub party at
a northeast point, where another salt
house and slaughtering field is estab
lished. AT the signal Of the chief
the work begins by the men stepping
into the drove corraled on the fats,
and driving out 100 or $50 seals at
"a time, make what they call
pod, which they surround
in a circle, huddle the seals one on an.
other as they narrow it down, until
they are directly within reach, and
under their clubs. Then the chief,
after he had cast his experienced eye
over the struggling, writhing mass,
passes the word that such and such a
seal is bitten, aud that such and such
a seal is too young, 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 heavyclubs come down all around,
aud every one that is eligible is
stretched out, stunned and motion
less. 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 aud 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 regard TO seal skins is, that they are
worn by those animals just as they
appear when offered for sale that the
iur 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 the seal skin
when it is taken from the creature
The fur is not visible it is concealed
entirely by a coat Of stiff over-hair,
dull, gray-brown and grizzled. Ii
takes three Of them to make a lady'l
sack and boa. Fitting them for the
market is a tedious, costly process,
requiring great skill.
As the summer waues the seals
forsake the islands, and old and young
take to the sea, and it is supposed
spend the intervening months, until
next season, on the fishing banks o
the North Pacific.
Mr.. r. P. Bonner, of Meadville
Pa, writes: II feel like a new borr
creature. Transformed from a crabbl
huannnfin and nerunna anffnrnr 10