Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-06-15
A QUEER DROVE.
How Fur Seals Are COrraled and
Driven to the Killing Grounds

Elliots's Alaska Seal Fisheries.
The method followed by the natives
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 shores
of these islands and gather on the beach
in vast numbers. The yenn9er male or
bull seals are the only ones that are kill
ed. and they are found assembled by
themselves away from the brOodlng-
roukeries. The natives go down to the
beach in the early morning and quietly
surround a group of hundred or more
seals, getting between them and the wa
ter. 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 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
NAV 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 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 breaking of day, which is
half-past l or 2 o'clock of Jane and July
of these latitudeS They arrive and
cool off on the slaughtering grounds, SO
that by 6 or, o'clock, after breakfast,
the able bodied male population turn
out from the village and go down to
engage in the work of slaughter. The
men are dressed in their ordinary work
ing 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, stout
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 a mans forearm
where they are grasped by the hands.
Each native also has his stabbing knife,
kis 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 kill
ing and skinning.
When the men gather for work they
are under the control of their chosen
foremen, or ceiefs; usually on st. Paul
divided into two working parties at the
village, and a sub-party at northeast
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, corraled on the flats, and driving
out 100 or $50 seals at time, make Wha'
they call pod, which they surround II
a circle, huddle the seals one on another
as they narrow it down, until they are
directly within reach and under thell
clubs. Then the chief, after he has cas-
his experienced eye over the struggling
writhing mass, passes the word thai
such and such seal is bitten, andFtha
such and such seal is too young, an(
that such and such seal is too old thu
attention of his men being called t.
these points, he gives the word strike
and instantly the heavy clubs COM
down all around, and every enc that /:
eligible is stretched out stunned ant
motionless in less time really than TAX
to tell it. Those seals now spared b.
the chief now struggle from under an:
over the bodies of their insensible com
panions ard pass, hustled off by the na
tiyes, back to the sea. Then the carcass
es are skinned, and the pelts prepare
for shipment.
4 This common or popular notion IN re
gard to seal skins is, that that they ar
worn by those animals just as they az
pear when offered for sale; that the ful
seal swim about, exposing the same sof
i coat with which our ladies of fashio
so delie MT to cover their tender form
during inelement weather. This is
very great mistake; few skins are les
4 attractive than is the seal skin when
, is taken from the creature. This fur
Il not visl bic; it is concealed entirely by
4 coat of stiff overhair, dull, gray-browI
and griZzled. 1t takes three of them
make lady's sacque and boa. Fittin
them for the market is a tedious, coStl
process, requiring great skill.
/ As the summer waneS the seals f0l
sake the islands, and old and young tax
to the sea, and it is supposed spen
their intervening months, until neA
season, on the fishing banks of the Mort
2 Pacific.