File:Our country- West (1897) (14597390199).jpg

Identifier: ourcountrywest00bost (find matches)
Title: Our country: West
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors:
Subjects: United States -- Description and travel West (U.S.) -- Description and travel Alaska -- Description and travel
Publisher: Boston, Mass., P. Mason
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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or the San Francisco Commercial Company, which is anAmerican organization. It is curious that only these islands and a few small spotson the Asiatic shore of Bering Sea should possess the peculiarconditions of landing-ground and climate combined, which arenecessary for the perfect life and reproduction of the fur-seal.These islands are enveloped in dense fog banks during a largeportion of the breeding season, and as neither the islandersnor seals can bear for any great length of time the intense 50 SKAL, ISLANDS OF ALASKA. glare and heat of the summer suu, there is no complaintagainst this prevailing screen between them and the sky. The seals move in herds, coming to the breeding groundsin countless numbers at regular seasons of the year, that is,during the latter part of May and early in June. The malesare large, bold and aggressive ; the females are small, peacefuland gentle; and both are models of symmetry and physicalstrength. The young are born blind and remain so for a couple of
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starting Inland. weeks, the mother rarely giving birth to more than one at atime. When they have arrived at the age of six weeks, themothers take them into the water and teach them to swim.At first they seem to fear the water and require some coaxingto enter it, but soon develop a natural affinity for it. Occa-:sionall>- a young one is found domesticated among the natives SEAL ISLANDS OF ALASKA. 51 of the more populous islands, and when they are thus broughtup among human beings they are easily taught to performmany amusing tricks, seaming to possess intelligence closelyresembling that of the dog. It is common to speak of the seal fisheries, but there is nofishing about the capture of these animals. In securing themthe employes of the company get between the seals and thewater, driving such as are selected inland like a flock of sheep.A seal is thought to yield the best fur at four years of age,when it is considered to be at its prime. The males of thisage are the ones selected for

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