Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1888-07-07
WITH THE SEAL HUNTERS
a TRIP TO THE FROZEN NORTH ON
A SEALING VESSEL
\ Seal hunters Outfit-ICe Floes
Covered with Seals Slaughter
ing aud ~kinnin. the Animals

The Newfoundland sealing feet, con !
si~tin- Of number ot steel plated steam
er> and numerous heavy buff sailing ,es
>cls have recently taken their departure
from the leading island ports for the
Northern icetloes. As the operations %
the hunters vary little from wear Ia wear.
writes E,fmund Collins in tn. New York
Isipsa@, {. shall transerhe from ms
note book record # An eNi'cdltion
made by myselfJ } the cold and ghostly
foes
The captain of the invited me TO
accompany him, and at once pro
ceodcd to equip myself with the ususI
seal hunters outfit. This consisted Of
heavy wool n clothes, seal skin top boots
the LEGS being hairy and the feet 4 c>sed
These are called skin bats hy the seal
ers, and YOU wear in them two or three
pairs Of heavy stockings | cot 4 gaH.
thu chief weapon Of the hunter, this ]
4 short wooden pole with steel spike
III one end Ny belt ani long sheath
knife, called "skulpin- kniiei by the
hunters. and a large sealing gun com.
plctcd my outfit
Besides the regular ships company
the sealing crew consisted of over three
hundred men, all strapping fellows who
sing in the bittercold, and pause before
no danger If duty calls them.
was awakened in tn" early dawn of
the fifth day by much hustle and shout
in- on deck. and7whcn | put my head up
| heard such expressions as these
"Thcre's more swiles tseals) there"
''Ehcrc's another bunch yondcr" The
n
into the cross trees | got good view
with my field glass. Almost every
where | looked saw 4 coyey Of white
coat seals. They were disposed mostly
i'll family groups and some of them were
engaged III the harmless occupation, ap
parently, of sucking little spurs Of ice
Where the enormous congregation of
animals got breakfast upon this compact
foe was puzzle that | could not solve.
When the hunters lf.gan TO pour ont
on the ice the sun was uSt out. The
hunters took with them only their gals
| took my gaff and set out, accompanied
by hunter who kindly volunteered to
break me in. Round about me every
where | saw gaffs uplifted and descend.
ing, ana then a red spot on the blue
white ice cover here the hunter
said, pointing to pan or ice cake where
half a dozen white coats lay basklng IN the
! light. AS we drew near the old ones be
gan TO squirm away, but the young oncs
| turned upon their backs like puppies.
their f1ippers pointing upward. had
not the heart to strike, but the hunters
gatF came down with deadly force upon
/ the head of each ip turn. He first dis
:, patched those who were trying to escape,
then killed the Young ones. Having
| done this he unshcathcd his knife, blds
ding me note his method. Then he
opened the animal down the body, cut
j ting through the heavy coafpg OF
/ ''blubbcr,' or fat, till he rcaqilcd tho
/ lean, cut it round at the throat and At
tn" tail and then stripped of the entire
| pclt This he did 10 each il space
! almost a, brief a. il takes me 10 relate II
/ in | lost my tcuderhcartcdness pretty
soon, and when we went away. looking
4 for another covey, WAS Keen 10 Kill and
''skulp" for myself The three hundred
/ and odd men hal soon scattered every
. where around the ship within radius
OF mile. and bl noon there was not q
live seal within that space. he glare
from til" lie Was Very painful 10 the m
protected eve. but some Of Iii had mohe,i
glasses Ny companion remained With
nc and W came upon several oth' !
groups of seals Before | returned 10 The
ship my catf was IS merciieSs and as SURE
a~ ans. and Killed and .'-kuIped' for
my first day ~ less than fifteen seals
At two O'clock | was "founicTod.
oWln- u the peculiar step one has to
adopt walking over the slippery ice.