Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-01-03
SEALS.
How They Live, and How Caught.

Few ladies know much about the
source of the greatly coveted seal
skin mantle. A few words then up
on the family of aquatic mammalia
known as the seals (Rtocidg) will
not be out of place. 4
Seals are found in-eEery part of
the world, except the topics. They
exist in immense numbers in high
northern and southern latitude, in
habiting the desolate coasts, and the
borders of the great ice fields
stretching tor hundreds of miles
around the poles. They are equally
at home whether in salt or fresh
water, inhabitating alike the fresh
water lakes of Russia and the salt
seas. We have seen them in the
very extremity of the Norwegian
fjords, l2O miles from the sea, where
the taste of salt water was scarcely
perceptible. They thrive best, how
ever, in salt water.
Seals swim with won.lsTful swift
ness, turning and twisting with the
greatest ease and rapidity when in
pursuit of their fnny prey; the
readiness with which swift swim
ming fish like the salmon are cap
tured, sufficiently proves their mar
velous activity under water. Be-
sides fish they eat various species. of
crustacea and the molluscs, cuttle-
fish, and such sea fowl as they are
able to surprise in the water. Some
species are known to eat alge and
sea weeds. -..'
The young, born on uninhabited
islands, barren rocks, in caverns,
and on lonely sea coasts, are at first
covered with a short wool ,and in this
dress they do not enter the water.
The mother seals are very attentive
and affectionate other little ones,
and will bravely fight in their de-
Tense. They also bestow immense
wains in getting them down to the
sea, and teaching them to swim, for
the animals doinot take so readily
to the water as we might suppose.
When shot In the water, seals are
often very difficult to recover, as if
shot dead they sink almost immedi-
ately, and if only wounded, will |
dive and not rise again. When on
the shore they usually lie close to |
the water, and when shot in this po-
sition, if not. killed, are certain to |
escape. They are SO wary that it
is impossible to approach near
enough to harpoon them, and if not
shot stone dead, are sure to tumble |
themselves off the ice and sink.
Seals play an important part in
the economy of high northern lat
itudes. 1t has been wisely ordered |
by an overruling Providence that,
in regions where most essential,
there are they found in the greatest
abundance. Without them the
wandering tribes of the Esquimaux
could not exist. Of the skins, they |
make warm clothing, a covering for
their boats, and lining for their
couches in the winter ssiglioo. p
From the blubber, oil for light and |
warmth for cooking; taken internal
ly, fuel to keep the lamp of life |
buring. The bones and teeth serve
to tip harpoons, and to make fish |
hooks and other articles too numer-
GUS to mention. From the entrails,
and stomach they form waterproof |
clothing, also substitute for glass,
to admit light to their summer
dwellings. a.tsI
Knowing, then thatevery comfort |
nay, life itself, depends upon the |
capture of these animals, they show
extraordinary skill, endurance and
perseverance in their pursuit. In
the long Arctic winter seals are
found miles from land under the
frozen sea, and as it is necessary for
these animals to come from time to
time to the surface to breathe, they
have certain elbow holes" which |!
they keep open in the ice; these
holes are large enough to per-
NIT the seals to come up head fore
most through the many feet of ice,
but at the top they suddenly con-
tract, leaving only a small aperture
open for the seal to breathe through. |
Over all the rest of the surfacs of the |
frozen ocean deep covering of
snow. To find the position of these
holes the Esquimaux employ dogs /
which in this pursuit exhibit extra
ordinary sagaeity, working the
ground over like a pointer, till they
catch the scent of the sea hole
through the snow. When found,
the savage pushes down his spear
until he strikes the small opening
leading to the main hole. Careful
ly avoiding disturbing the surface,
and perfectly motionless, he then
stands spear in hand over the hole
for hours together, as If rooted to
the spot, till hearing the "puff," he
strikes with an extraordinary pre-
cision through snow and blow hole
into the unseen head. The animal
instantly dives, and runs out the
line attached to the harpoon, The
hole is then enlarged, and the aston
ished brute dragged to the SIT;
faee,
When an Esquimaux perceives a
seal basking on the Ice near his hole,
he will crawl along on his belly, i'm
ltating to perfection the gFunt and
motions Of the animal, and artfully
endeavoring to get between it and
the hole. If he succeeds in doing
SO, it is all over with the befooled
creature. The man rises to his feet,
either instantly transfxing it with
his harpeon, or stunning it by a
blow on the nose,