The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-05-28

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great spring seal fishery.
For many years this great fishery, or
hunting expedition on the ocean fields
of ice, as it should be more properly
named, had brought hundreds of thou
sands of dollars among the community
yearly; and lucky was the man es-
teemed who had secured his berth in a
ship to be sailed and commanded by
some smart and experienced hand. For
three weeks to month the hearts of all
classes in the great fish colony palpitat-
ed between hope and dread necessarily.
The first thing on awaking, the last be-
fore sleeping, the only observation
hazarded in the streets was the state of
wind and weather bearing on this mo-
mentous voyage. All had a stake in it I;
the merchant, in his ship stores and
winter credits to the fishermen; the
fishermen, to pay these debts, in order
and in order solely-to obtain more
credit for the summer cod-fishery.
The return of the expedition was an
event of the most tremendous import
ance. "One by one," writes Lieutenant
McCrea, "all through that great day of
all others in the year, they come gliding
through the Narrows, until, just as the
sun tips the crest of Signal Hill with a
farewell crimson kiss, the last laggard
of the fleet anchors in the channel to
wait until the little, busy, bewildered
tug shall have leisure to haul them in
side. But in truth it matters little
whether the ships anchor or not; for,
surely as the sun sinks, out go the, boats,
and, leaving the Captain to take care of
the ship as best he can, in a few min
utes the greasy hunters jump on shore,
and are hauled off by friends and wom-
en- as mad with joy as they are. In
streets, in lanes, in cottages of the poor
as well as in mansions of the rich, the
night is prolonged in one great, univer-
sal orgy" 1t was on one of these occa-
sions that an officer of rank, sent up
from Halifax on an official commission,
said, in answer to a question as to what
sort of place it was, "Well, sir, was
only there three days, and they appeared
to me to be all drunk
In April of last year a curious event
took place off New Foundland. There
was a'visitation of seals such as would
have been deemed extraordinary even
in the palmy days of the fishery. For
many years the hardy fishers of the
southern coasts have scarcely hoped for
a paying harvest of seal, even after fit
ting out their rough boats, and proceed
ing to the ice-felds of the North. On
this occasion the valuable creatures
came floating downward on great sheets
of ice, within easy reach of the hunters,
hut kHo % g. l.
place it might have been regarded as
special providence to all concerned.
1t was during the first days of the
month of April that the news began to
spread that the seals were coming, and
within a short time the hunters who had
staid behind when the regular fleet left
for the North began to congratulate
themselves on having remained. They
were ready for the unanticipated har-
vest, and as the ice gathered around,
squads of them might be seen hurrying
from the harbor of st. Johns out through
the Narrows and into the broad Atlantic
Ocean. Far away, north, south and
east, extended the interminable ice
sheets, with here and there watery
breakage. From Signal Hill, which
rises 800 feet above the sea-level, an al
most unbroken view might be obtained
extending nearly forty miles seward.
The rich spoils presented to the hunt
ers excited them to recklessness. The
women, too, who seem in this Northern
latitude to be in complete sympathy
with the tolls of the husbands and broth
ers, shared in the general craze. 1t was
not uncommon even for wind and sun
Drowned damsels, daughters of the
hardy fishermen, to grid on the seal
hunters armor and enter the lists with
their brothers in competition for the
treasures of the oil fields. The distance
traversed away from the land over
the ice sheets varied from one to eight
or nine miles, according to the position
of the seal patches or the good fortune
of the hunter. One gang of men, more
fortunate than another, would alight on
an abundant patch within mile or two
of the shore, from which spectators,
without the aid of telescope, might
witness all their operations. Others,
less lucky, would have to wander over
rough and broken ice for many weary
mile before coming up with the objects
of their eager search. When found,
even at the end of long and tiresome
ramble, the seal-killer felt himself am
ply repaid for his toll. Thus all went
well for several days. Men came and
went, and no record of disaster reached
the shore. Thousands of dollars worth
of seals were daily captured, were
brought on shore and rapidly consigned
to the oil watts on the south side of the
City of st. Johns.
From three to four days the hunters
had been at work, venturing further and
further upon the ice, when suddenly the
wind fell. The great masses, held in
place by strong northeastern. began to
yield, and the hunting grounds 4" to
give way beneath the feet of the unhap-
ply fishermen. So sudden was the
change that it seemed almost instantane-
Gus. At one moment the men seemed
to be quietly at work at the next the
panic had spread in every direction.
The ice had moved from the shore, and,
except at q very few points of contact,
the water began to flow between it and
the main land. Hundreds of men saw
before them the prospect of being car
ried out to sea upon the melting mass.
Those who were most cool-headed ran
for the ice-bridges yet remaining and
succeeded in reaching the shore. Others,
less rand in their movemants Or conn