The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-03

Passing southwark through the Aleutian
chain and out of Behring sea, the animals
swim in a southeasterly direction, toward
Santa Barbara, about four hundred miles
south of San Francisco. on the Pacific
coast. There they turn and 80 nOrthward
nearly n million strong-hugging the
coast, past Oregon and Washin gton, and
along the soutRer shore of Alaska into
Behring sea-, r68chlng the Prlbyloy islands
again Dy July 10. Upon those lonely rocks
they breed and nurse their young for four
months, at the end of which time the pups
ore weaned and big enough to accompany the
annual migration. The track they follow
Is never varied from, and each week IN the
year finds them at the same stage of their
route. so that no difficulty in discovering
the herd Ia experienced by the hunters.
who pursue the poor beasts relentlessly
month after month, killing, killing. kill
Ing. until they got back into Behring sea
again and are safe for awhile. No present
project for putting a stop to this is enter
tanned. The "modus vivendi" and the
seizures of vessels have merely related to
the exclusion of the ~pelagic sealers from
Bebring sea itself. where they are anxious
to 40 and wipe out the whole breeding herd
while 1t Is on two small islands.
thus making an end or the species at once
and for good"
WHAT PELAGiC SEALING is.
Before explaining in detail the remarka-
bly, effective method by which this result
would be accomplished. some very interest
ing points may DO mentioned respecting
the extraordinary business of pelagic
sealing. For the pursuit of this in
dustry small schooners of from forty
TO sixty tons are equipped. Each
such vessel starts ont on a voyage
with three or four months provisions, q
quantity of salt, o supply of repeating
rifles and fifteen OF twenty men. Usually
the Grew includes o few Indians from Van
couver's island and Neeah bay, Washing
ton. The schooner sails out into the
path of the herd of seals. She
has no trouble in discovering them
when the right point is reached
by the popping up on all sides in the water
OF the ANIMALS heads. Then she lies to.
unless the weather is too rough, and overs
into the seq e mum Der of small dories. Each
boat IS occupied by two men. One of them
sits In the bow, with a Winchester rifle or
fowling-pIece. loaded with Duckshot,
across his lap. while the other rows. The
effort is TO extend from the vessel q line of
from seven to ten dorIes, which shall be
within hail of each other. so that they can
find their way back in case of q fog or
storm. Having taken their positions. they
wait for the chance of a seaPs head pop
ping mp within range. The animals, while
travelling. only appear on the surface at
the intervals necessary for breathing. TAX
ing o quick and cautious look around, ard
Immediately diving again to swim and fish.
They 10 all their swimming and fishing
under water.
When the hunter sees q head pop up. if
he is quick enough. he may have time to
aim and fire before the seal has taken an
Instantaneous survey of him and dived.
Usually. when the animal comes up close
alongside the boat. Its fright is SO great
that it disappears too suddenly for a shot;
but II 10 pops up ~ q distance OF nifty or
100 yards. perhaps 1t may pause for two
opportunity To the marksman. At
the best the aim is necessarily very uncer-
tain. inasmuch as both boat and seal are
tossing about in the lumpy water. No
matter whether it is hit or not. the seal dis
appears instantly. If killed outright 1t
sinks. but il the marksman. by keeping his
eye on the spot where the carcass
went under. can so direct the boat
as to get there quickly enough,
body of the animal going down in the crvs-
tal-clear water. In that case he whips out
his gaff-pole and fishes it I'D. To succeed
in this. however. he mnst arrive IN time at
the exact point where the game sank, since
it is only from Just above that it will be-
visible through the chOppy waves, which
show not q bubble for n guide. a dead seal
will sink from six to ten feet while a skI.f
Il rowed fifty yards. There is more skill
In finding the prey after 1t IS hit than in
shooting II. Surprising that the seal ~
slightly or mortaliy wounded. it dives and
swims away. In most cases TO perish later.
IL merely stunned It founders about ON
the ~snrface ard is easily taken. but that
seldom occurs. From this brief description
some notion can be formed of the enormous
waste of lifein ;hls kind of hunting. which.
according to the testimony of the sealers
themselves. destroys fifteen animals for
every one secured.
N~ELENrLEsS PURSUIT.
After a few days the herd thus inter
cepted by the schooner will have passed
by. This ~ discovered from the fact that
no more heads OF seals are seen popping up
in the water. Have the unfortunate beasts
at length made their escape from this
predatory vesseli By no means. She sim
ply spreads her canvas 10 the breeze, sails