The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-22
PfLAGIC. Seal HUNTING
A Calling That Involves Excitement
and Also Danger.
THE SPORT APTLY DESCRIBED D
The Business Is Less Lucrative Than For.
merly. owing 10 the Competition to
Get tho best Hunters Crew
in Stormy Weather.
From the New York Sun.

From the New 1ork Gun.
The life Of the men engaged in the
pelagic seal fishery of the North Pacific
and the Behring Sea differs greatly
from most other callings of the sea.
There Is charm connected with 1t
which attracts lovers Of excitement.
On board of sealing vessels are found
men of all nationalities, who have been
induced to engage in the fur seal fishery
by glowing accounts of the wonderful
catches made and rich returns received.
Fully three quarters of the sailing fleet
are Canadian vessels sailing from Vic
toria, b. c. The remainder are Ameri-
can vessels. and are owned at San
Francisco, Seattle and Port Townsend.
The majority of those who first in
vested in the industry had no cause to
complain, for owners, masters, ana
hunters Of vessels found 1t a lucrative
business, and Il continued so for some
years. After time the lay or share OF
hunters greatly increased the expense
Of running the vessels. This went on
to an alarming extent, but recently n
necessary halt was called. and the price
paid to hunters was cut down about
one-half The former price, or lay, was
from $3.50 to S. a skin; 1t now ranges
from $3.50 to So q skin. The former
prices were almost ruinous to the own
ers, for after supplying everything on
the vessels, together with paying
monthly wages to the crew. there could
be only slight margin left, especially
at times when skins sold for $3.50 and
$S. It Is to be remembered that skins
taken In the ocean by the pelagic sealer
are far less valuable than those taken
on the Pribylof Islands, in Behring
Sea, or on the Commander Islands, off
the coast of Siberia. There are two
reasons for the difference In price: the
first Is that nearly all skins taken by
sealers are more or less mutilated. and
the second that the seals captured are
the companies on the rookeries are
picked skins. there being very little
variation either In size or quality.
SEALING VESSELS.
At the beginning Of pelagic sealing
the vessels employed were very primi-
tive in build, and some were about as
rough looking specimens of marine ar
chitecture as are seen on the ocean.
After a few years many of them were
eupplanted by a better type Of craft. 1t
is safe to say that many Of the first
vessels that started sealing could not
have secured crews had they been en-
gagged in any other business. Sealing
vessels range in size from 15 to 120 tons.
The average size is about Is tons. The
majority of sealing captains are good
navigators. There are a few. however,
who find their way over the ocean more
by instinct than any knowledge they
possess. In June, 1898. a sealing schoon-
er of only II tons register dropped an
Choir in one of the harbors Of the Shu-
magin Islands, Alaska. She had been
at sea since the early part Of February
hunting seals. No nautical instruments
were on board, for the reason that no
body knew how to use them. Only one
chart was on board. and 1t extended
only as far as the Shumagin Islands.
The captain was bound for the Com
mander Islands, off the coast Of Siberia.
A chart covering the ground as far as
the coast Of japan was given to him,
and he shaped his course for a region
wholly unknown to him. 1t was subse-
quently learned that he accomplished
his voyage and returned safe.
1t is generally supposed that the ma
1ority Of sealers have accumulated con-
siderable wealth since engaging in this
occupation. This is not SO. While 1t Is
true that a number Of sealing captains
have met with phenomenal success, by
far the larger portion Of the sealing
fleet have little more than paid eXpens-
es. The generous lay given to hunters.
ever going on among owners and cap
tains, has had a disastrous effect. and
many of the vessels are in debt nearly
to their full value.
BY Christmas portion of the fleet Is
ready to sail, and from that time until
the first or middle of February vessels
leave port almost daily for the sealing
grounds. The vessels that make an
early start head southwark after leav-
ing the Straits of Fuca, and cruise
down the coast from ten to twenty
miles off shore. II the weather is
pleasant, seals are likely to be met with
in the vicinity of the Columbia river
If no seals are found in this locality
cruising Is continued down the coast
until the main body Of the seal herd Is
found, which is generally off the Cali
fornia coast. The San Francisco fleet
commences hunting off the Farrallone
Islands and works northward. This
season sealing has been carried on fur
ther south, good catches having been
taken in the vicinity of Pigeon Point
and Santa Cruz.
At this season the character of the
weather is very uncertain, and as the
fleet works northward the weather in
creases in violence, and in consequence
several days sometimes pass when a
boat cannot be lowered. The vessel Is
hove to under storm canvas, jogging In
zigzag courses off and on shore. AT
such times life on a sealer Is extremely
mOnOtonOus. The only work performed
by the officers and crew Is to stand
their regular watch and look after the
safety of the vessel. The hunters stand
no watch, neither do they perform any
other duty on shipboard; they are
looked upon as the gentlemen Of the
N ntns nd IN h, fe
occupation they at most times adhere
strictly. Occasionally, 1t Is necessary
that all hands should lend assistance;
but this seldom happens, as the crew
Is generally large enough to handle the
vessel under all conditions Of weather
" IN GOOD WEATHER.
In sealing weather, when seals are
plentiful. everybody on board Is active.
ly engaged from early morn until late
in the evening. A week or more of this
kind Of work Is sufficient to cause g
stormy day to be appreciated. The
first twenty-four hours of q storm Is
greatly enjoyed by all on board, as the
much-needed rest can be INDUCED ir
freely. kBut at the expiration Of twt
or three days Of this kind Of weather
everybody is surfeited with sleep, ant
the situation grows monotonous; ant
amusements are indulged in. On the
sealer on which the writer was at one
time the chief occupation to pass the
long hours in a gale was jack-knift
carpentering. Soon after breakfast tht
work of the day would commence, ant
by noon the cabin floor would be COW
cred with whittlings. Fine workman
ship was displayed in making fancy
boxes, picture frames, card cases, ant
q variety Of other ornaments. Two o.
the boxes were made in the most beau
tiful manner imaginable. Each con
tained 5000 pieces Of wood. Boats rep
resenting months of labor were in pro
cess Of making, their model and work
manship showing the designer to pos
sess no mean mechanical ideas.
Music forms no small part In makinf
life on q sealer pass pleasantly. Amonf
the men found on these vessels many
strange characters are met with, a few
Of whom possess variety of accom-
plishments, and on dark and stormy
nights the scene below decks Otter