The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-17

madly back and a fierce battle ensues.
In these battles, which are
continually waged along the border,
many are wounded some unto death.
During the last days of May the females
arrive in countless numbers. Now this
females "haul up on the shore and march
up the streets of this wonderful city and
are chosen from right to left, and are then
ushered into the harems of their lords and
masters.
The females give birth to their young
one very soon after landing, and never go
ing longer than forty-eight hours, the in
stinct OF approaching maternity guiding
them over thousands of miles through
dense fogs to the land of their birth with
nice calculation as TO time and distance
that is truly wonderful.
Within day or two after the young seal
tpup) Is born the female returns to the
water and goes to the feeding ground 100
miles or more away, occupying one or two
days in her trip, when she returns to
nurse her young; during the absence of
the mother the lord of the harem
cares for and protects the young The
males remain upon land for four months
and during the entire time do not taste a
morsel of food, nor, so far as is known. do
they take swallow of water. As a result
of this long fast, and the arduous duties
he has performed, and the many battles
he has fought, he leaves his harem late in
August, very thin in flesh and in q sadly
demoraliZed condition generally.
The great evil of this illegal and indis-
criminate killing in the open water, which
has been going on for the last few wears.
is the cruel slaughter of the females on
their journey to the islands. Being heavy
with young, they are sluggish
in their movements, and resting
he II
they are easily approached and killed.
The death of one Of these means the death
of two. The mother seals absent from the
island after food are slaughtered in large
numbers. leaving their young on the
rookeries to starye.
When the pup seal is about month old
process begins called "the podding of the
pups" They leave the harem and gather
en- masse along the edges of the village
streets, budding close together for comfort
and company. their little black bodies COM
pletely covering the ground; during
all their waking hours they keep I'M a
continual bleating, resembling very close
iy the bleating of lamb, while the bleat-
ing OF the mother so nearly resembles that
OF the sheep that the few sheep kept upon
the islands are attracted to the rookeries
by it.
The mother, upon her return from her
Journey after food, is met by the sound of
the bleating of thousands of baby seals.
but she goes unerringly 70 her own.
guided by the voice of her offspring.
PUP SEALS LEARNING TO SWIM.
When the pups are about two months
old they work their way down to the wa
ter's edge to take their first lessons in
swimming, for while they become very ex.
pert swimmers, as shown by the fact that
practically their only food is fish, which
they must catch, they, like the boy, must
learn to swim.
They first seek the smooth water under
the lee of rocks, and their antics while
taking their first lessons are interesting
and laughable to witness.
They are not accompanied and given
their swimming lesson by their mothers
but go in squads by themselves. They 90