The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-10-22

four or ave months in the year cod 6shing, the
most lucrative occupation is hunting the seal Their
December From December i'm March they have little
nothing to do unless they feel disposed la
borers On the first Of March the seal fishing
it called begins and continues till May. The vessels
employed in the seal fisheries vary size from ninety
hundred and sixty TONS and protected along the
bows with sheathing of iron. These vessels owned
by individuals companies, and capable accom-
modatng from twenty to seventy men, according their
=. the termination Of the voyage oneha the proeeeds i
given the Of the vessel, and the other
hall equally divided among the fishermen The seal is
found principally upon icebergs and Is either shot
killed with heavy pole with which it is struck the
head The prn pa varieties are the harps, the hoods
the hovks, the beiiamers, and square hippers. The
sauare appers are as large as good sized bull aud their
pe which includes the skin and fat weighs from five To
eight unore6pounds The hoods are the most difficult
die over the fee fast man can rum When attack
cd with the pole they viii sometimes seize u with their
teeth and fling IT forty or iy feet from hem with great
force; then turning the daring hunter, they force
him to seek safety in fight The harps are considered
they are also easier killed and make less resistance when
attacked The fat s separated from The skin
| and placed in large vats, in which they are al
onverts it into oil. 1h' is rather slow process, but
considered the best il preserves the purity OF the
be great fertilizer guano and commends itself
farmers particularly account Of its cheapness. x
is sold for dollar cart load which is equal TO five bar
rels.
In voyage the seal fishers sometimes distance
Of five and six hundred miles from st. Johns and are
absent from six weeks TO two and three months About
four years ago feet OF hundred vessels was
wrecked during season. but the loss Of life not
serious as might have been expected Not more than
twelve fourteen of the fishers pershed the rest having
made their escape to the land, in their boats
and some on foes of ice. party of six had got
Of these and several days in reaching the
land. Such Casualties however, occur but seldom AMI
not attended with such disastrous Of effects as one
he seal fisheries Of Newfoundland although very pre-
carous, profitable perhaps than any pur
suit in the worldthat is to those whoare enabled to in
vest sufficient capital in them. 1t at present employs
upwards Of tour hundred vessels Of from eighty to two
hundred tons. and fifteen thousand men, while the year
~ receipts amount to about two millions OF dollars
The cod fisheries conducted entirely different
plan from the seal fisheries The men furnish their
boats which are of different sizes, from large row
very strongly built God Cod fishing although
sp to great extern on he
ofthe weather. During favorable week expert hand
will catch much twenty hundred weight, while there
some weeks in which he win not take more than
four hundred Herngs used for bait and caught
the shore in nets in immense quantities In fact
the herring fishery is becoming of greater Importance
cecd the cod fishery The process of curing the cod is
very simple The fish first taken by person who
cuts their throas and who then passes them to another
whQe business it is to behead them. These called
the and header and after going through their
them them and takes out the backbone They p are
then thrown to the salter, who, after sprin!k,
irg them with due allowance OF salt,
puts them in stacks of from twenty to thirty hun
dred weight. They allowed to remain in this cond
ton several days when they washed and placed
the stages fakes to dry These fakes are formed
Of upright poles made Of spruce and pine which support
flooring constructed also Of poles Of the descrp
ton. When sufficiently dried, they piled up in
stacks and finally disposed Of to the merchants, by
whom they again sold for dollars per quintai
which is about onehaf the mount paid for them The
fishermen buy the salt with which the fish cured
and the fakes which they dried expense
whatever. being incurred by the merchant. The cod
fisheries are now In most furnishing condition. and as
they appear to be nexhaustibe the annual supply is
only limited by the number men engaged in them and
the at their disposal for their successful prosecu
ton. j. NJ