The Portland daily press., 1893-05-15
On a DESPERATE Filtration

with him. Her punishment is swift.
When the females go in search of
food, they sometimes swim miles away
from the islands. There the pelagic
pirates kill them. Their babies, uncared
for by the other seals, die by hundreds
on the rocks and beaches. They suffer
for the greed of man and die from the
selfishness of their DAN kind.
On the coolest day, when the sky is
dull and overcast, the company kills it's
quota of seals. The natives, armed with
gather at the rookeries and range them
selves between the poor animals and the
sea. Then they make loud noise unto
the Lord; and the seals, hearing it,
Flee Across the Island.
They draw themselves slowly and labor
iously over the ground and the Indians
TO How them until they come to place
suitable for the slaughter. Then about
twenty at time are separated from the
herd. OF these only the bachelors of
three or four years are killed. The rest
are permitted to escape. The killing is
done by blow on the head from club,
and about one half the herd is killed at
each driving.
To a sensitive Anglo-Saxon, it seems
little short of murder to kill these poor
timid creatures. Their eyes, through
which the soul looks out upon this wick
ed world, turn to the assassin in mute
appeal. The native approaches, his club
raised to strike. They lift their heads.
Their large eloquent eyes pour forth one
last imploring plea for mercy. But the
club desceeds. The Indian is not
squeamish, and even were they the hui
man beings that they seem I doubt if it
would make any difference in their fate.
1t is not policy to kill them on the
rookeries, as the survivors might seek
some safer resort in which to spend the
summer months. Besides, the poor
cseatures are made to drag their own
pelts close to the salt house, and there
they lay down their burdens at the feet.
of the fur company. Each seal killed,
the skin is removed Immediately. sailed,
rolled with one other in bundle and
packed ready for shipment. 1t is claimed
by some good authorities that this toll
some journey overland is very deleteri-
GUS to the female seal, and causes her to
become unproductive. So that eventual
ly it may be discovered that the way to
protect the seal and save the species is
not to kill them at all. And then what
are you going to do when your sealskin
cloak wears out?
We have seals on our own coast. The
vicinity of San Francisco is also we'll
provided with seals. But they are of a
different variety. They have the
Long Hair of the Arctic Seal
but it is brown in color. The main diff
ference is the absolute want of fur, so
that plucking these long hairs leaves only
the bare skin. But even this is used by
man for his cigar cases and by woman
for her writing tablets.
Not alone the seal, but almost all
kinds of fur bearing animals, from the
big polar bear to the little blue fox are
found in Alaska. Hunters and trappers
traverse the country and bring in pelts
which they sell to the fur company. The
natives are in the business to consider
able extent. And they, like their South
ern cousins, the North American and
Mexican Indians, show traces of Chinese
descent by their interesting and instruc-
tive methods of cheating their fellow
men. For example, you may find the
fox skins which they sell you to be
wanting the brush, that appendage, in
conjunction with a humble rabbits skin,
does duty for another fox's hide. And
they hunt the polar bear. This immense
creature, wonderfully powerful, is quick
as monkey and swifter than horse.
But they kill him with rifles, sending
bullet through his heart, or with shot
guns disembowelling him with heavy
charges of the largest buckshot Those
not provided with rifles frequently sue
coed in killing polar bears with arrows.
From Quoddy Head, the easternmost
point of Maine, to Cape Flattery, the
westernmost point of the United States
proper, is about $50 of longitude. From
Sitka, Alaska, near the eastern boundary.
to Attu Island, at the western extremity
of the Aleutian archipelago, is $50. But
from Cape Flattery to Attu is 500. That
is, the territory of the United States ex-
tends 800 miles further to the westward
of San Francisco than San Francisco is
to- the westward of Eastport, Me. And,
with the exception of the strip of Cana
da between Washington State and Alas
ka, the United States comprises stretch
OF 1902 of longitude, or more
than one-third around the world.
To be sure the westermost land is long
drawn out. But the Aleutian Archipela-
go seems like hand stretched out to
Asia A hand that says as plainly as a
hand can say, sCome with us and make
believe you are free.'
You will notice that it is not stretched
toward China, and, after all, it may not
be enticing other nations to come into
the fold. Perhaps it is but shadow
cast by the talon of the American Eagle
clasped in the paw of the Russian bear,
JOHN G. BERRY.