Alaska, its history and resources, gold fields, routes and scenery (1899) (14760159631)

Identifier: alaskaitshisto00bruc (find matches)
Title: Alaska, its history and resources, gold fields, routes and scenery
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Bruce, Miner Wait
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, Putnam
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto



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de themexpert in using their huge clubs and sharp skinningknives, both instruments being manufactured expresslyfor this purpose. These men are proud of their skillas sealers, and will not demean themselves by doing anyother kind of work. The labour connected with the killing of seals may bedivided into two distinct processes: the separation of theseals of a certain age and size from the main body andtheir removal to the killing ground ; and the final process,of making another sorting among the select, and killingand skinning them. A damp, cloudy day is especiallydesirable for both driving and killing. The young male seals, to the age of four years, invari-ably segregate themselves in the rear of the so-calledrookeries—or groups of families—that line the seashore ;and the experienced native crawls in between the familiesand these ** bachelors. This is accomplished withoutdif^culty, and the animals are driven inland, in droves offrom one to three thousand each, very slowly, lest the
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i LAND AND SEA ANIMALS 67 animals become overheated and injure the quality oftheir skins. When the slaughter ground is reached,twenty or thirty seals are separated from their fellows, inquick succession surrounded by their executioners armedwith clubs, and the killing begins. The experienced eyeof the Aleut quickly discovers if the seal is either underor above the specified age or size, and if such an one be