The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
PELAGIC SEAL HUNTING.
ACALLING INVoLVING EXCITEMENT
AND SOME DANGER.
Husinsss Lees Lucrative Than For
inerly, Owing TO the CompetitIou 60 get
the Hest Neutrality-suspicious. or the
teaIInU Creu In rtormy wentbsr.

Nne nest OF the
Sesling Crew In stormy Weather.
The life of the men engaged in the pelagic
seal fishery of the North Pacific and the Behrlng
Sea differs greatly from most other cailings of
the sea. There 4. a charm connected with It
which attracts lovers OF excitement. On board
of sealing vessels are found men of all nation
alities, who have been induced to engage In the
fur seal fishery by glowing accounts OF the won
derful catches made and rich returns received.
Fully three-querters of the sailing fleet are
Canadian vessels sailing from Victoria, r. c.
The remainder are American vessels, and are
owned Mt san Francisco, Seattle. and Port
Townsend.
The majority Of those who first invested in
the industry had no cause TO complain, for
owners. masters. and hunters OF vessels found
II a lucrative business. and It continued so for
some years. After n time the lay or share of
hunters was increased. and the competition
which arose among Captains and owners to get
the best hunters greatly increased the expense
Of running the vessels. This went on to an
alarming extent. but recently a 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: It now ranges from
$3.50 to 81 a skin. The former prices were al
most ruinous to the owners. for after supplying
everything on the vessels, together with paying
monthly wages to the crew. there could be only a
slight margin left, especially at times when
skins sold for $3.50 and IS. II is to be remem-
bered that skins taken in the ocean by the pela-
gic sealer are far less valuable than those taken
on the Pribylot Islands. in Behring Sea, or on
the Commander Islands. of 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 muttlated. and tho sec
ond that tho seals captured are not uniform In
size. Those taken by the companies on the
rookeries are picked skins. there being very
little variation either in size or quality.
At the beginning OF pelacic sealing the vessels
employed were very primitive in build. and
some were about as rough looking specimens OF
marine architecture as ara seen on the ocean.
After a few years many OF them were supplant-
ed by n better type OF craft. 1t is safe to say
that many OF the first vessels that started seal
ing could not have secured crews had they been
engaged in any other business. Sealing vessel.
range in size from 10 to 100 tons. The average
size is about 10 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. 1899, a sealing schooner OF
only IL tons register dropped anchor in one OF
the harbors OF the Shumagln Islands. Alaska.
She had been at sea since the early part Of
February hunting seals. No nautical instru-
A'N'ANS $50 ~ O'eaN WI Wa A'e'Oh NAAhN az
body knew how to use them. Oaly one chart
was on board. and It extended only as far as
the Shumagtn Islands. The Captain was bound
for the Commander Islands. off the coast OF
Siberia. \ 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 subsequently learned that he
accomplished his voyage and returned safe.
1t j. generally supposed that the majority OF
Saa1arz "a u,.n ,,.Cr v, ~ FOL r,pS,larah1 hi, ,raa1,b
since engaging in this occupation. This is not
SO. While it 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 expenses. The
gen erOus lay given To hunters. together with
owners and captains, has had a disastrous
effect. and many ~ the vessels are In debt
nearly to their full value.
BY Christmas a portion OF the feet is ready to
sail. and from that time until the first or middle
OF February vessels Leave port almost daily Tor
early start head southwark after leaving the
Straits of Fuca. and cruise down the coast from
ten to twenty miles of shore. II the weather is
pleasant. seals are likely to be met VITA in the
vicinity of the Columbia River. II no seal. are
down the coast until the main body OF the sen!
lert Is found. which is GENERALLY on the Cali
meme mences ' &an;tns !H m I thu F Esfaa,'Se I sfst sS and
works uorthwarl. This season sealing has been
carried on further south, good catches having
anita cruz,
Atthi- season the character Of the weather is
very uncertain. and as the fleet works north
ward the weather increases in violence. and in
cCn-equenc" several days snmetime- pass when
under storm canvas. jogging in zigzag courses
OF and on shore. At such tnes lie on a sealer
formed By the officers and crew Is to stand their
regular watch aud look after the safety Of the
vessel. The hunters -tand no watch, neither do
they pcrt,prm any other duty on sh'phonrd;
they ar, look upon as the gentlemen of the
t,on they at most times adhere strictly. Occa-
siouhllv. 1t is necessary that all hands should
lend assistance: hnt this seldom happens; as the
crew Is cencr3,ly large enough 70 handle the
vessel under all conditions Of weather.
In sealing weather. when seals are plentiful.
early morn until late in the evening. A week
or more Of this kind II work is sufficient TO cause
twenty four hours Of a storm is greatly enjoyed
BY al! on hoard. a. the much-needcd rest can be
or three days OF this kind of weather everybody
is %surfeIted with sleep, and the situation grows
momoton"ns: and in order 70 pass the time all
scaler on which the writer was at one
,tme the chef occupation to pass the
work Of the day would commence. and by noon
the cabin floor world be covered with whit
things. Fine workmanship was displayed in
maHlns fan.y boxes. picture frames. card cases,
boScs were made in the most beautiful manner
Imaginable. Each contained 5000 pieces of
WIN. lh'tAAN AFlN'N'ANlNE iiiNllAhN''A
In process Of making, their model and work
man-hip showing the designer TO possess no
mean mechanical ideas.
Music forms no small part in IN aking life on a
sealer pass pleasantly. Among the men found
on these vessels many strange characters are
met with, "a few Of whom possess u variety Of
cc9mpllshlneat and on dark and stormy
nights the scene below decks often presents "a
striking contrast to the bowling elements above.
sweet strains from violin. guitar, and banjo
are heard in the cabin or forccastle while the
gale is shriekiug and tearing through the rig
R!ng. a II in its mad fury I was bent on stop
ping AL pleasure on the high sea. The watch Is |
more interested in What is going On below than
in his duties on deck. occasionally "A heavy
sea comes shooting out OF the dark
ness to wiudward, rushing on past
the little vessel, leaving a bright, fiery
wake ot phuSphorc-ceEce beautiful TO look
az. The wind increases ia force and the seas
gradually grow higher, hut tie vessel rides
them buoyautly. An occasional solitary star
peeps out from behind black, misunderstanding
clouds. and now and then the screech OF "A gull is
heard as i, scars before. tho wind. as il en-
dCavuriug 10 escape the fury OF the gale. The
htlaTtty below, sun goes on, the participants
OF the weather. Ear into the night the amuse-