Connecticut western news., 1873-03-14
The Catch of Seals.

The outfit for the Newfoundland seal ally large. The fleet will number twen- ty-one steamers, with but few sailing vessels, and probably from nine to ten thousand men will embark, this year, for the ice-felds. A correspondent, writing to a Halifax paper, from st. Johns, N. F., gives some interesting facts relating to the business and the habits of the seal, whose fur is so much sought for. The Arctic current, setting South of Bafins Bay, at this season of the year floats on it's surface those huge ice-felds, two or three hundred miles in breadth, and of an unknown length, on which the seals bring forth their young. The mother seals deposit their young in these icy cradles about the middle of February.
 Tenderly as any human mother, the spring lying amid the ice-hummocks, like the cry of human baby, who is peevish or uncomfortable. The mother seals fish all around, during the day, young, each having an ice hole by which
 
 rocked by the great pillows of the At, lantic, grows at surprising rate. g In four weeks from their birth they are in the best condition for being taken, and the oil obtained from their plump bodies is then of the finest quality. The aim of the seal-hunter is to reach them when in this condition, about the middle or end of March. From the island, the sealing vessels take their de- parture, as soon as possible after the 1st of March, and, steering Northeast, dash in among the ice-fe1ds, and beat about in search of the young innocents, lying in herds, or "patches, as the. sealers phrase it, over large area of ice. The young seals are killed by slight blow on the nose, and then the hunter "sculps" them with his knife that is, takes off the skin with the thick layer of fat adhering to it-leaving the carcass on the ice. Ss TIFF
 Grave fears are entertained by some lest the employmentof so many steamers may ruin the fishery, and ultimately lead to the extermination of the seal, as in the case of the South Sea fisheries. This is hazardous business at the best, and frequently those who lose their cap- ital in it, lose their all.
 The seal is the source of considerable profit to the Newfound dlanders, and in fortunate seasons some of those engaged in the business realize a large return upon their investment. Among the new steamers fitted out this year, is the Neptune, bark-rigged, with, engines of l2O horse power, the largest and most powerful sealing vessel ever employed at seal or whale catching. The steam ship City of Halifax, formerly Inman mail steamer between St. Johns and Halifax, has also been added to the fleet. Sailing vessels have but poor chance when competing with steamers in this business. The use of steamers, involving the investment of 8 large cap ital, has tendency to. concentrate the entire business in the hands of 8 com paratively few adventurers.
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 SUFFER1Nas. There has been, and still is, great suffering in Ireland from the overfowing of the lakes and rivers. In many villages the humble homes of the inhabitants are completely inun- dated. Many tenemenSs have been abandoned, while in others a miserable attempt is made to live surrounded by water. No fires blaze on the hearth, but the little cooking is done in large kettle on the table, where they manage to keep a small fire. Beds are suspend ed from rafters, boats are used for loco motion, and the poor people have been reduced to truly pitiable condition. Some practical efforts have been made for their relief by the nobility and others whose sympathies have been awakened. -~ ---i-A'lEt