Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-02

valuable creatures, which are today alinost W
/ per cent females. They are at this writing
/ passing up the coast by Vancouver's Island.
! Or those which are now being killed ~ per
cent are heavy with unborn young.
on THE BREEDING ISLANDS.
By July 10 the entire herd will be on the two
islands in Bering sea, breeding and nursing
their young. The pups are all born by July 20,
and uD to November 10 the mother seals are
constantly going out to the ocean fishing banks
for food They nurse their offspring at inter
walls of from one to four days. and travel IN
| search of fish 50 to 300 miles away from the
! islands. The fleet. entering Bering sea in July,
| would draw a Gordon around the islands, prac-
! tlcaily annihilate all the mothers before the
helpless Young are weaned in November, and
leave the infant seals to starve by myriads on
the rocks. While not literally DISCRIMINATING
the species the result of this, it is argued,
would be to destroy the sealing industry for
ever. True, the peasic sealers would ruin
! their own business, but they belong to class
of people who care only for today and do not
look forward to the morrow.
IF LORD SALISBURY COULD SEE
one OF these Canadian sealers thrust his gaff-
hook into the carcass OF nursing female seal
and drag the body over the gunwaie into the
boat: If. as this ruthless destroyer cuts the
hide from the animal. he could watch the milk
squirt on which a poor little family of baby
seals depend for sustenance, how quickly would
he cry shame upon such beastly, barbarous
hatchery! How long would it be before he
signed an agreement with the United States for
the protection of the prosecuted creatures!
THE WORK OF THE INDIAN HUNTERS.
The Indian hunters carried by the sailing
vessels take an important part in the chase.
They are turned loose on days when calm
weather has succeed a storm. At such times
the seals, which have been SO tossed about in
the water as to have had no sleep for con-
siderable period, indulge in the luxury of
sound maps on the ocean pillows, lying on
their backs at the surface with only their noses
and heels showing. Thus rocked in the
cradle of the deep they peacefully repose,
doubtlessly enjoying pleasant dreams, while
the savage in hls canoe approaches silently
from the leeward. When within striking dis
lance the hunter drives a toggle-headed spear
into the unconscious animal. drags the prey
up to the boat and knocks it on the head. This
method of slaughter, though not less indis-
crimlnate than that adopted by the white men,
has the advantage that no seal that is struck is
lost
ONLY THE PRIBYLov SEALS.
The pelagic sealers have asserted that the
breed of seals hunted off the Straits of Fuca
and Vancouver's Island is not the same as that
of the Pribylov Islands. and that the Alaskan
seals frequent more or less the Russian seal
islands on the other side OF Boring sea. seals
from the latter, known the Commander
Islands. sometimes joining the Pribylov herd.
As a matter of fact, every seal which journeys
through the eastern waters of the north Pacific
Was born and bred on the Pribyiov Islands.
Never within historic times have the animals
composing the Pribylov herd hauled out to
breed anywhere else than on these islands,
which they doubtless selected because
they, were uninhabited, not being discovered
the islands of the Aleutian chain were
overrun very anciently by savage man. That
no Russian seal was ever taken on the Pribyloy
Islands, or vice versa, Is proved by the records
OF market sales of the skins in London. The
Russian pelts are readily distinguishable from
the Alaskan, being much lighter in color. Pre-
sumably the warmer water about the Com
mander Islands, the temperature being about
ten degrees higher. has made the difference in
the course of generations. The Russian skins
are only worth about half az much a. the
Alaskan.
TIE COMMANDER ISLANDS SEALS.
The herd which breeds upon the Commander
Islands is about as large numerically as the
Fribylov herd at present, comprising some-
what less than ,O0O, 900 individuals. II spends
the winter in the Japan sea and in the neigh
borhood of the Kurile Islands. Thus far it ha-
not been attacked to any extent by pelagic
sealers, simply because their attention has
been conferred upon the more valuable Alaskan
animals However, as soon the Pribyloy
herd has been wiped out, the Russian seals
will be attacked. Russia claims no Jurisdiction
over Bering sea beyond three miles from shore
and she can only save her seals by joining the
United States and Great Britain in the inter
national agreement which constitutes the
only hope for the preservation of
these useful creatures. If a ten-mile
or thirty-mile zone of protection can be estab-
hshed there is no reason why a zone of 800 or
500 miles should not be maintained. Such An
agreement once made the seals would be saved.
Gay,.a 1f fha ay.I,l
are being exterminated can be got from the
report Of United States Commissioner Elliott.
who in 1874 counted 100000 seals on the
Pribylov Islands. In 1890 he found there only
$685. 900 old and young. In 1874 there were
J. 200 900 bachelor seals''-males under six
years old, which are not allowed by the bulls to
come upon the breeding rocks. 4 liberal esti-
mate in 1890 placed the number OF bachelors at
l00, 900.
THE LIFE OF A SEAL HUNTER
is as dangerous and exposed calling as human
ingenuity has ever devised. In the north Pa
cine the skies nearly always overcast and
gales blow continually. Fogs settle down with
out a moments warning, not to rise again,
perhaps, for days or weeks. Yet from tie
deck of schooner two men will launch
small dory, with orhy a keg OF water
and bag of hard tack, and pull out to
wlndward into the ocean waste so as to be inst
in sight OF the vessel or within hailing dis
lance OF DOat between themselves and the
| vessel, taking their chances OF getting back
safely. Very often they are lost Death in its
| most frightful form-from thirst-is the fate
| always to be looked forward to as more
than possible by the pelagic sealer. The
fog suddenly descends like a curtain, damn
and impenetrable to the strained vision.
the answering hail comes not 1t ia the old
story, SO oft repeated. Two human beings
adrift in q skiff lost in q desert Of stormy
waters. No hope that is worth mentioning ex-
lists for them. What use to row when all ia
blindness and there is no guide to steer by.
Days Of agony on short allowance of water
then madness and finally
THE SLIGHT REWARD.
But why pursue the horror further. No one
who has never sailed upon those wind-swept
seas nor stared into those frightful fogs can
realize the risks which are taken every day OF
their lives by these hunters or understand. in
view of the small reward they receive, why thew
pursue such an occupation The gunner is
paid for the skins he gets from "a 50 to IS
apiece, according to size and quality. The boat
puller is paid from 40 cents to 81 skin though
sometimes he works for so a month. Ten
skins make very big days catch, and to get
so many the hunter will usually expend from
$50 to 200 cartridges. That would signify about
$40 for the hunter, whose labor il highly
| skilled. and "a for the puller. The owner Of
| the vessel provides ammunition. Indians have
their own spears and canoes. They get the
| same prices for skins a. the white men, but do
| not secure so many.
| When the skins have boon fetched. aboard
| they are rubbed with plenty OF salt 10 preserve