The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-04-17
S { AL MIGRATION
MAS NOW STARTED
Coast Guard Cutters VII
Meet Great Herds Along
the Pacific Coast.

Out in the va reaches OF the South
Pacific, thousands Of seals are now
beginning to SWIM in fgfhng herds
fer the Pacific Coasa bound from the
halmy waters CT the South to the
spiay -drenched rocks Of the prib.lofs
IN icy Bering Sea Mindful OF Uncle
Sans internationa covenant, the
Coast Guard cutter Snohomsh. Capt.
r. r.. Wacsche. has left Seattle on
The way TO a point 20 to 40 miles off
the mouth of the Columbia River,
where she will meet the swimming
multitudes.
The Snohomish will sand guard
over the mighty migration all the
way from the mouth OF the Columbia
to the waters off Dixons Entrance
Southeastern Alaska Her guns are
ready, if there is need for them.
The Snohomish's guns will act as
a deterrent on any attempt at pelaGic
or open sea scaling except in the
case of the Indians of the Makah, the
Ozctte and the Quillayut tribes Of
the outer Washington coast. Uncle
Sam allows these Indians to sally out
90 or 40 miles into the open ocean to
attack the seals with spear and gait.
They must use no other weapons and
they must paddle out to the path Of
the great marine pageant, the en-
ployment of power boats being for
hidden. The Washington Indians get
about 1000 skins a year.
To Meet Seal Herds
Nearly 80 canoes, each manned by
three or five men, will go out to meet
the seal herds this year, the enter
prise forming one of the most pictur-
esque features Of the states activities
on the sea The herds will begin TO
appear off the Washington Coast the
middle of April and from then until
The middle Of June tho fur-bearinS
denizens Of the deep will continue to
PASS in swimming multitudes. They
travel in herds OF 10 to -. each led
ty a first class fighting Dempsey.
The winter habitat of the seal
herds was long one of the mysteries
of the sea According to the latest
scientific information, however, the
herds ceme south from Boring Sea
to scatter over vast extent OF
South Pacific walters for the cold
ronths. The females 80 far south.
The males and young seals remain in
the upper reaches of the South Pa
cific. Some of the old males, good
fighters and valorous, remain in the
cooler waters OF the North Pacific.
Until two years ago il was no.
deemed necessary to patrol the wa
ters between the mouth Of the Co
lumbia RIVER and the entrance 10
Dix0ns Entrance. Then fs"a q t,3ry
from the Indians of the coast that Il
mysterious two mast schooner had
been seen off the Washington coast
during the annn1l migration, with The
caroe OF Chief Peterson of the Ma
kan tribe towing at the stern. The
canoe later WIS found cast up on the
Beach. Chicf Peterson never was
seen again. some believe he was
drowned. others that ne was shang
haicd. Because Of the report. the
Coast Guard Service ordered the pa
trail on which the Snchomish is about
to leave port.
Captain Waoachc's officers are II
G. Hemingway and f. C. Allen. lieu
tenants. junior grade. The warrant
officers are Boatswains w. +. Boggs
and S. Halvcrsel and Machinists J.
VI. Chill and VI. Alvin.
While the Snohomish guards the
seals on the Pacific Coast, the Haida,
the Algonquin. the ,Mojave and I'm
alga will stand watch over the great
herds in Boring Sea. The patrol is
maintained in accordance with the
entered into by the United
States. Great Britain, Japan and Rus
STA under which these nations protect
pelagic or open sea scaling.