The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-09-23
Sealing in Labrador.

Sealing. one of the peculiar industries
of E>quinauX Point and Nata>hquan. is
the most vent'lrcsomc occupation of
the Labrador coast. Seals are taken in
three ways-by hunting them alon. the
bays and shores in boats or on the ice. by
netting them as fish are taken. and by
following them out To sea in vessels and
killing them ON the foc>. sometimes
met boat sailing about the islands and
bays with two men aboard eagerly watch
ing the water and the rocks for the har-
Dor seals. Dressed in coats and skull
caps made of scal-skin, they often creep
along the rocks with the motions of the
seal, and dccoy the animal by calling
Some Of them have trained dog.
What is he good for in such work." |
inquired. lie can hardly be Il retriever
for animals weighing hundreds of
pounds.
Yes, he is, sir; if seals are fat when
killed. they float, but even if they arcVcry
poor ii takes but little to float them. And
the dog jumps OF and catches them often
before they sink, or he'll dive for them
in shallow water. When they sink in
deep water we often jig tlcm-haul
them up with n t>h-hook and line. Some
seals dive when wounded. and swim of
to sea; others turn 10 the shore and crawl
up on rock to die.
In the spring of the year they hunt
seals on the ice when il drifts against the
shores. Cape Baud. Newfoundland, j. a
noted point for this kind of sealing. The
foes coming from the northern seas
strike on this cape and divide into Two
parts; one enters the Strait of Belle Isle
and the other goes southwark along the
coast of Newfoundland.
The people told me that hundreds of
hunters come there in March with dog
sleds from the settlements about Hare
Bay etc. Each gang of men brings a
skill, provisions. etc. and many camp in
little huts. and remain Till the sth or 10th
of May. They keep Il constant watch
over the drifting fields of ice. When
seals are Discovered on Il foe touching
the shore or near it, the men put oh To it
III their Skitf. haul the boat up on The ice
and then 20 about clubbing the seals.
They soon return Ia the shore with bluh-
Der and hides. which they bury under the
snow for keeping until Il trading schooner
calls. Sometimes the wind or the cur
rent suddenly lopScnS The ice and carries
ii out to sea. and the sport i then quite
pcrilous. The netting Of seals Is not an
like the taking of fish in nets. 4 strong
net may he moorcd off a favorable point
or channel. or several nets are combined
and moorcd to form Il Kind of pound.
At La Tahatiere. Cape Mccatina, a noted
resort for seals. the combination Of net
measures about 1oU fathomS. When seals
were abundant. several hundreds and
even thousands were taken there in sea
son. In a favorable cove Il net may he
sunk on the bottom until the seals enter;
Then it i raised with Il windla>> 10 close
the entrance. and men in boats row about
the bay and drive the seals into the mesh
e>.
The ocean sealing j. the most costly
and prodl ctiVc method. Powerful steam
cIS. built expressly for this work and
manned by POO and 500 men. are sent out
every year from ST. Johns. Ncwfouud
land and Dundee. Scotland. The seal
ing fleet of EsquimauN Point and Nata>h
guam numbers about forty small >choon
er>. In l>Sl they took 3O.000 seals. hu1
! in lS>2 only 3,Gou The strength II the,
vessels i remarkable The one | saw
building nj EsquimauN Point had timber,
twelve inches square laid in solid. ano
boltcd one To the other and the bow was
mass of beams and braces. The oil i
tried out in furnaces along the beach The
+ hides are sent to London for tluniu@.-
Hrp'rS No4f.j0,.