Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-05
FUR-SEAL ISLANDS OF ALASKA.
Interesting Facts Concerning the Habits
Of Seals.

FUR-sEAL ISLANDS OF ALASKA.
Interesting Facts Concerning the Habits
Of Seals.
| THE GREAT ANNUAL SLAUGHTER or BACHELORS
TO aRATuT THE CAPRICE OF TEE FASHION,
ABLE woRLD-How THE NATIVES LLvE-oov-
ERxMENr RxvxNUEs.
During the session of Congress Just closed
| the committee on merchant marine and fisheries
of the House Of Representatives had under con-
sideration the lease of the fur-sea islands Of
Alaska TO the Alaska Commercial Co., % the
lease Of that company will expire on July /,
1890. The lease Of 1870 was for twenty years,
and provided that the Alaska Commercial Co.
might annually take one hundred thousand
seals.
Little was known in this country Of these
islands or Of the habits Of the seals until Prof.
Elliot, of the Smithsonian Institution, visited
them in 1873. His report has been Of great
benefit, not only to the Government but to
science, and it has stimulated others to also
make Investigations and reports.
These two little islands Of the Pribylov group,
| known as st. George and st. Paul, are situated
in the center Of Behring's Sea, the larger Of
which il about the size Of the District Of Co
| lumbia. They are very rocky and barren, and
are only valuable as being the breeding place
Of the fur-seal. They were discovered nearly
one hundred years ago by Pribylov, and are
the only fur-seal islands Of any consequence
| known to exist.
| The fur-seal is not Q fish; it is q perfect am
phibian; 1t is a warm-blooded ANIMAL breeds
on land and nurses its young. In the spring of
each year these animals repair to these islands
to breed and shed their coats. About the first
of May the old bulls appear, coming up very
cautiously, and surveying the shore before
landing. II they hear any noise, even foot
step, they will take the alarm and 20 away.
Hence it is that dogs and firearms are not al
lowed on the islands. The seals are polygamous
| in their habits, each bull having from ten to
twenty, and sometimes az many as forty, COWS
| in his harem, which he prefers to locate as
near the water as possible, and it is for the pur-
pose OF pre-empting and maintaining choice
situation that he .'hauls up" some weeks in ad-
| vance Of the female. At this time the war be-
gins, and only those males who are able to
drive OH all trespassers can hold possession Of
the selected location till the arrival Of the
females, when the battle is even more sangui-
nary while establishing the harems, Of which
they are as jealous as q Turk. The young
males which have been fought of the breeding
grounds, herd together back from the shore,
and are called bachelors or "holluschickie,"
and are the only seals that are killed. The
bachelors, free from family responsibilities,
can roam at will, taking their exercise and get
ting their food in the sea. They are allowed q
narrow lane down to the water through the ter
ritory OF their conquerors; but woe be unto him
who deviates from the straight and narrow
path. II he puts one hipper out of the path
way allowed him he will be torn to pieces by
the veteran guardians Of the seraglio.
THE SLAUGHTER.
In July and August the holluschickie are
driven to the killing grounds in droves Of thirty
or forty, where they are surrounded by the ma
tives and their thin skulls easily broken by
light blow from oaken or hickory bludgeons,
which are made in New London, Conn, and
sent there for this particular purpose. Last
year one holluschickie met his death at the
hands OF Mrs. Tingle, the wife Of the Govern
ment agent, who Is the only white woman who
ever killed seal. The skin was afterward pre-
band insisted upon the Government tax being
paid. Immediately after killing the seals are
skinned and the skins are taken to the salt
houses and sailed. At the close of the season
they are bundled and shipped to San Francisco.
From there they are sent by way of New York
to London, and are sold at auction. After they
are dressed and dyed the skins are imported
into this country as an English product under
an ad valorem duty of 20 per cent, which yields
revenue of 50, 600, 900 year. There is great
difference in the size and weight Of the male
and female seal, the full grown male weighing
from four to six hundred pounds, and the fe-
male weighing only eighty to hundred pounds.
1t Is a singular fact that young seal, though
ucstiutu W sptuu mOst OI us lie IN the wafer,
is unable to swim when he is born, and must
learn the art by constant practice that he may
leave the island when the older seals leave in
the fall. Seals swarm on these islands by mill
lions, the number estimated by Prof. Elliot
being three million and by Mr.. Tingle, four
million seven hundred thousand. The daily
food for this number Of seals is calculated at
twelve million fish. During the entire breed
ing season the bulls remain faithfully in charge
of their harems, not once going down into the
Cor noI Gko,,I Il. -
turn to find some other bulls in possession Of
their families.
THE NATIVES.
The seal islands are inhabited by about 400
Aleuts, who receive from the Alaska CONNER
cial Co. $40 900 year for abont six weeks work
in killing seals and sailing skins. They are
also furnished with houses to live in and q GER
tain quantity of fuel and provisions, and on the
whole nu are said to be very well for
by their less fortunate neighbors. They are
supplemented, indolent, and docile people,
well adapted to their surroundings when sober.
They brew a sort Of sour beer called ''quass,"
which is Intoxicating. When the United States
purchased Alaska the condition Of the natives
was poor indeed. They lived in mud houses,
ate seal meat, and the government Of Russia
paid no attention to them whatever; whereas
they are now well provided for, have schools
and churches, and have TO their credit about
the year in idleness, Willing away the time
mostly in gambling, at which they are adept
and quite clever at a Skin" game. The COM
pany keeps on each island q store well stocked
with everything they need, and the goods are
sold to them at an advance Of Is per cent above
cost in San Francisco. The native women are
being educated to aspire to things unnecessary
for them. They get the fashion papers and
endeavor to initiate the latest folly, even to the
most approved style of hustle. Winter on the
islands is very severe, and there is no commu-
nication with the outside world from the time
the company's steamer leaves in the fall until
it returns in the spring. When the wind il
high 1t carries snow and ice with it, and natives
are sometimes compelled to 60 from house to
house on all fours.
PROTECTION NECESSARY.
As financial transaction the acquisition Of
the territory Of Alaska was a very good specu-
lation, the Government having already received
revenue from the seal islands alone Of %. OOO,-
000 and the entire cost of the territorv ho;pex