The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-10-21
AMONG THE SEALS.


Luxurious Wraps for bellies.
The old bulls are the first to arrive in the
spring and the first to leave in the fall.
From the time they arrive till they Ieavs
they take no food. Their coming seems to
be TO provide quarters for their harems.
which range in numbers of from 10 to so.
The females average weight is about S5
pounds, and the males, from years on,
will average about $50, and the bachelors
1875 pounds, and weight OF skin s pounds
Neither this class of males nor the females
of any age are killed, being protected by
law
The next to arrive is the " Loluscheak, y
the young bachelor seal. This is the class
taken for their fur, ranging in age from S
to years, to fill the quota of the 100, 000
fur seals that are permitted to be killed
annually. g Holuscheak . is the Russian
for bachelor. From this time on shall call
them bachelors.
The cows are the last to leave, remaining
with their calves, called pups till they
learn to swim, for at first they don't take to
water, like duck, and are only got into the
surf by much coaxing, but after once learn
ing they catch fish for living without the
mothers aid.
When drive of bachelors is ordered men
are sent to rookery and get between the
bachelors (who are generally off by them
selves and the sea, spring forward With
yells, whistles, and beating of tin pans, in
such way that Mr.. Bachelor becomes panic
stricken and lights out inland in gait
something like child pulling itself over
the floor with its hands before it has learned
to walk. After the first rush they get very
tired, and If crowded will turn and snap at
you like tormented dog. If the tempera-
ture is higher than fifty degrees above, the
trip of three miles from the rookery to the
killing ground near the village can't be
made short of five hours. They are driven
in squads of from 500 to 900, and on the
killing grounds as many rs 5000 will be
brought together.
Nearly every drive will have n few sea
lions in it, that have been caught on a visit
TO their neighbors. Their rookery is of tc
itself on the southeast side OF the island.
We are allowed to kill them by shooting.
They are magnificent looking fellows, weigh
ing from 500 to 900 pounds. On reaching
the killing grounds fifty or sixty seals are
separated from the drove, and driven as
near the skinnels as possible, whom they
are huddled together like flock of sheep
frightened by q dog, but without the motive
power or sense to get away, when three or
four men with heavy hickory clubs loaded
with lend commence the work of knocking
them in the head. If there were none but
the size wanted in the squad, the job of
despatching them wonld be light, but there
is nearly always II bull or two from seven
to ten years old (too young and cowardly
for harem, and too old for fur) that al
times make it lively for the killers The
hardest part of the work sometimes is get.
ting rid OF those under size from their dead
companions, over which they pile snarling
and hitting at the men and their clubs till
finally, after urgent persuasion, one starts
and the rest follow, though now and then
one more tenacious than the others can only be
got rid of by being tapped over and dragged
ont to come to life at his leisure. Cows will
now and then be found among them, which
to tell when punched together from bache-
Tor takes an expert, and to avoid hitting one
Of them, or one of those under size and at
the same time protect our legs from ons
TINT has lodged the blow OF the club and
lodged for leg, is very hard work. In
the first few weeks killing the number under
size is not large, but after that they are
very numerous; from so to rs per cent. nre
under size, young bachelors, cows and
young bulls. The old bulls are very seldom
iriven.
As fast as they are skinned by the natives,
which is done very rapidly, the women are
on hand following the skinncrs, to take
what they need for food and the blubber,
which is saved by sailing, for fuel. After
the skinning Is over the skins are hauled to
the salt house and counted in by the Gov
eminent officer in charge, where they are
laid in bins, the flesh side up, and sailed.
In the course Of week or ten days they are
taken from the bins, examined, and, where
the curing process has not been perfect,
more salt is applied. In another week they
are tied up, two in q bundle, with salt in
the folds of the skin, and shipped to San
Francisco, where they are packed in casks
and forwarded by rail TO New York, and
thence to London, where they ale sold at
trade sales to those understanding the bust
ness OF perfecting them for the fashions of
the day, the first part Of which is TO shave
them down on the flesh side until they nre
IS thin as letter paper and tanning the pet.
--s