The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-04
KILLING HAIR SEALS.
An old SeRIer Describes 1t as the
Hardest Work He Knows.
From the Baltimore American.

has followed the sea during much the
greater part of his life, and the incidents
he describes are full of genuine interest.
Capt. Asply declares sealing to be the
hardest work he ever heard of, and any
one knowing will testify that the sea-
mans standard of hardness of work is not
that of a man of fashion. No man dares
attempt sealing cruise until his endur-
ance has been demonstrated beyond any
question. Work is not the only consdera-
ton. A strong man need not dread labor
so long as he is allowed time for the neces-
sary restorative, sleep. But the conditions
OF sealing cruise are such that this, in
great measure, must be denied, Add the
rigors of constant exposure to the most
extreme cold, and you have partial sum-
mary of u sealer's discomforts.
In the latter part of February the great
herd of about half a million seals has
come south as far as the latitude of the
straits of Belle Isle. The region between
these narrows and Notre Dame bay is the
seals habitual breeding ground. 1t Is
among the ice of these waters that the
steamship Mariposa of Montreal is sup
posed to have met her recent fate. The
seals produce their young upon the foes,
or pans" within a few miles of the shore.
The parent animals swim about in pursuit
of fish, and contentedly follow the ice
wherever it drifts. The young grow with
surprising rapidity. At the age of three
weeks they have attained about the size
of bulldog, and replaced the white fur
of infancy with the dark coat.
Seal ships from Newfoundland, Nova
Scotia, and the neighboring coasts sail
early in March. By that time the ice is
well on in the process of breaking up, or
spawning abroad" and navigation has
become possible. About the middle of
March the killing begins. AS the ships APP
f.l, Ar,nf
parations are completed. The long watch
is begun, which is not relaxed until the
active cruise is over. This watch, lasting
from dawn till dark of every day, is kept
up by one man alone His Importance is
recognized in his rank which is next to
that of the captain. From the shape of
his station of observation at the masthead
this Individual is known as "Uhe barrel
man." He is provided with as fine a tele-
scope as can be procured, and skill in its
use is one of his most important essen
tials.
Another part of the preparation is the
division of the ships crew, 200 or 800 in
number, into four watches. Each is put
under command of a master of watch,
and is organized into boats crews and
other small divisions for the performance
of the various duties aboard ship. 1t is
the perfection of these details Of organi-
zation that brings ships work to the
! frictionless system that is a landsmans
surprise.
When at length seals are sighted the
word is passed down from the masthead
as quietly as possible. Old seals may be
disturbed by a shout at a distance of
miles; further reason for caution exists If
the observer is within hearing of other
ships. In the latter case the first ship
edges around toward the seals by a cir
cuitous route, intended to throw others
oef tl,o +,.oo al I'd
forbidding any one to show his head
above the rail. The slightest carelessness
will cause the game to disappear into the
water Perhaps the pan" of seals is
sighted by rival ship. In that case all
roundabout tactics are dropped, and
race ensues. The four watches, armed
with gaff-tipped clubs, "stand by for
directions. At the instant the ship gets
among ice too closely packed for her 10
proceed further, all hands are overheard.
Away they run, each master of watch
picking a path for his command, which
hurres after him in single file. 1t IS a
rough chase; now a climb over a washed
up ledge of broken ice; again a leap across
a black strip of water. Occasionally some
unfortunate wretch falls in, and is fished
dripping out on the gaf of a companion.
His clothes are frozen stiff in few Sec
onds, but he doesn't stop. The seals by
this time are thoroughly alarmed, and II
is important TO fedCn them as quickly a.
possible. A seals vital point is his nose.
1t is on that organ that the attack IL
made. One blow of the bat" usually
kills; sometimes, however, an old animal
offers a hard and dangerous fight The
men hurry about their work of execution
with energy, abated only after the last
of the living seals has escaped into the
water
The victims are then skinned and the
pelts heaped together in stacks, surround
ed by the ensigns of their respective own.
erships. These stacks, by the way, are
another of the objects designated by the
useful term pan" pan" of pelts
like a pan" of seals, is the supporting
fiat cake of ice. We have the same
usage in pan of bacon" 1t is seldom
that a pan marked by a flag is molested;
feeling on the subject Is prohibitively
strong.
After stacking up the pets as described,
all hands hurry back to the ship to con-
tinue the search After hours of rushing
about over a slippery footing, handin.
and skinning the heavy bodies OF the
game, and perhaps a scuffie with rival >
crew. ii Is only natural to think of rest
But at this point the hardship only be-
gins The seal laws limit the time for
killing to a few weeks; in consequences
mere is not the slightest relaxation OF er-
fort until the time is past. So, though
a crew many not have had time to gs,
even a cup of tea II a second pan is
sighted, IL is attacked without delay.
At dark the ship returns over her days
course to collect the pans" of polts. A
storm may have arisen. 1t only becomes
the more urgent that the prize be brought
aboard without delay. Through the roll
ing, crunchng ice the men pick their way
in boats, with the water freezing imme-
diately on whatever IT touches. At last
all the pans have been visited and all the
grease-laden skins laboriously slowed
away.
AT such n days end one Is justified In
looking forward to a comfortable bed. But
to the sealer this is denied The hunks,
limited I'm number, are allotted to the men
who have been with the ship on previous
cruises. The remainder of the men are al
lowed the liberty Of the ship. which offers
two Alternatives berth In one Of the
boats on deck or less frigid bed burrowed
among the coal in the hold. Considera-
lions Of temperature make the latter
choice the more popular. Even the best
that a coal bunker affords Is always la
bic TO interruption to the call on deck TO
help the ship through the ice.
In the latter part Of the season the seals,
by that time well grown, spend most OF the
- sT.... 49,.