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

The Indian hunters carried by the sailing
vessels take al important part in the chase.
They are turned loose on days whom calm
weather has succeeded q storm. At such
times the seals, which have been so tossed
about In the water as to lave had no sleep
for a considerable period. indulge In the
luxury of sound maps on the ocean biflows.
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 doubtless enjoying
pleasant dreams, while the savage in his
canoe approaches silently from the lee
ward. When within striking distance 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
indiscriminate han that adopted by the
white man. has the advantage that no seal
that is struck is lost.
A FALSE ASSERTION.
The pelaRic sealers have asserted that
the breed of seals hunted off the Straits of
same as that of the Pribylov islands, and
hat the Alaskan seals frequent more or
less the Russian seal islands on the other
side of Bebripg sea, seals from the latter,
known as the Commander islands. some
times joining the Pribylov herd. AS q
matter OF fact, every seal which Journeys
through eastern waters of the north Pacific
was DOIn anu UTeu Oh tuo ETlDylOV lSlduue.
Never within historic times have the ami
mails composing the Pribylov herd hauled
out" to breed any Yh ere else than on these
islands. which they doubtless selected be-
cause they were uninhabited, not being
discovered until 1856, willis the mainland
and the islands of the Aleutiap chain were
overrun very anciently by savage men.
That no Russian seal was ever taken on
the Pribylov a or vice versa. is
proved by the records of market sales of
Hha aE,ra - DnI4- frha D- ala
are readily dIstinguishable from the Alas
kan, being much lighter in color. Presum-
ably the warmer water about the Com
maDder islands, the temperature being
about forty degrees higher. has made the
difference In the course of generations.
The Russian skins are only worth about
half as much as the Alaskan.
The herd which breeds upon the Com
mander islands is about as large numerical
ly as the Pribylov herd at present. CON-
prising somewhat less han one million in
dIviduals. 1t spends the winter in the
Japan sea nnd in the DeighbOrhood Of the
Kurile islands. Thus far it has 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 as the Pribylov
herd has been wiped out. tho Russian seals
will be attacked. Russia claims no juris-
miles from shore. and she can only save
her seals by joining the United States and
Great Britain in the international agree
ment which constitutes the only hope for
the preservation of these useful creatures.
If o ten-mil or thirty-mile zone of
protection can be established. there is no
reason why o zone of three hundred or
five hundred miles should not be main
tanned. Such an agreements once made. the
seals would be saved. Such notion of
being exterminated can be got
from the report of United States
Commissioner Elliott. who IN 1874
counted three millions of seals on the
Pribylov islands. In 1890 he found there
only $50. 000. old and young In 1874 thore
were l.20O, 600 bachelor seals"-males I'M
der six years old. which are not allowed by
the bulls to como upon the breeding rocks.
a liberal estimate in 1890 placed the num-
Der OF bachelors at 1000
PERILs OF HUNTING.
The life OF a seal-hunter Is as dangerous
and ex posed a calling as human ingenuity
has ever devised. In the North Pacific the
skies are 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 the
deck of 4 schooner two men will launch a
small dory, with only 6 key of water and a
bag of bareback. and pull out TO windward
into the ocean waste. so as TO be INST In sight
of the vessel or within haihng distance of
q boat 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 thar possible by the pelagic
%sealer. The fog suddenly descends
like n curtain. damp and ~impenotrablc
TO the strained vision; the answering
hail comes NOT. IL Is the old story, so oft
repeated. Two human beings adrift In q
skiif. lost in q desert of stormy watersl No
hope That is worth mentioning exists for
them. What use to row whom all IL blind
ness and there Ia no GUIDE to steer byi
Days of agony on short lowance OF water,
then madness, and finally
But why pursne the horror furtheri No
one who has never sailed upon these wind.