Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-06-22

Irtaulul 1dlc> iiidN uilNc 'uc suip> any
where but where they seek to go, bergs
raay be hurled against them, the ice
nav Jam them between its ponderous
edges and crush the doubly-braced
hulls into spiinters, or cleanly cut away
parts of the bottom, and leave the
vessels 10 sink and the men to save
themselves rs best they may upon
broken and drifting ice. Often a field
of thin bay-ice " will lie right in the
path. Then the ship dashes into it As
far As its power can force it. When it
sticks. the crew leap overheard, chop
and break the field into cakes which are
showed under the foe or hauled out on
top: or, if it is too thick to be broken.
saws are brought out, and a canal is
slowly made for the ships progress.
This is time of great desire for haste,
and you may wei believe that every
man works with all his might.
Well. when ali this toll and danger
are passed sometimes greatly pro-
longed. and in the midst of Il frozen sea
and the most violent storms the
ship has the good luck TO sight a herd,
then begins for the crew of hardy sail
ors a season of about the most arduous
labor that one can imagine.
II the weather permit, the vessel is
run into the ice, and moored there; il
not, it sails back and forth in open
spaces, managed by the Captain and one
or two others, while the remainder of
the crew, sometimes sixty or seventy,
or even more in number, get into boats
and row swiftly TO the foe. The young
seals lie scattered about here and there,
basking in the sun or sheltered under the
lee of hummock. and they lie SO thick
|, that half dozen will often be seen
in space twenty yards square. They
can not get away, or at most can only
founder about, and their plaintive
bleatings and white coats might almost
be those of lambs. The old seals are
frightened away by the approach of the
sailors. and never show fight, and the
Youngsters are easily killed; SO the men
do not take guns, but only clubs. with
which they strike the poor little fellows
a single blow on the head, usually kill
ing them ut once.
Having struck down all they can see
within short distance. the small squad
of men who work together then quickly
skin. or Gas they call it) "sculp" them,
with a broad clasp-knife. cutting clear
I through the thick layer of fat which lies
underneath the hide. and so leaving
I surprisingly small carcass behind.
Bundles are then made of from three TO
seven ''pel,s.' aud each man drags a
bundle towards the boat. This Is some
times miles distant. the ice is rough and
broken. he must leap cracks. trust him.
self to isolated cakes. and often falls
into the freezing water, or loses his way
i'll sudden squat of snow. Ii is limb
cracking and lfe-risking work, and. to
accomplish it successfully. man must
school his muscles TO endurance. his
nerves to peril. and his heart to bitter
cruelty, but every pelt is worth Il dol
! lar.
By night. after the :" seal-meadow
/ has been attacked. the decks of the YES
sci are hidden under deep layer of fat,
I slippery pelts. After these have lain
( long enough TO get cool. they are slowed
away in the hold in pairs, each pair hav-
ing the hair outward. The mold is d.
vided by stout partitions into compart-
ments or pounds" in order to prevent
the cargo from moving about and so
rubbing the fat into oil, which would
speedily fill every part OF the hold and
the cabins. spelling all the provisions.
A vessel once had to be abandoned
from this accident. because it had not
been pounded" The European ships.
however. generally separate the fat at
once and stow it in casks.-ErRest IN
gerSoH, ia ST Nicholas.
In New York recently there was