The times., 1901-04-21
SEALING In THE ATLANTIC
Hardships of the Fisheries Off the
Newfoundland Coast.

ST JOHNS. y. f. April 20-Not even
the Klondike itself can be more tempting
than the seal fishery off the coast of New
foundlaud every spring. 1t is only a few
weeks since the fleet of twenty seal ships
sailed for the ice foes. and already the
majority of them are home again. laden
10 the matches. Their catch aggregates
267. 900 seals. and the steamers still to re-
turn viii probably swell the total TO near
ly 10000
These seals are worth i'm the market
here SO each. on an average, or $500, ,0tl
in all. and when the oil and skins are
exported a profit Of at least - per cent Is
realized. so the total value of this years
catch viii approach S750.ola OF the total,
one-third or perhaps 100000, goes to the
seal men and laboreLs, the remainder re-
coupling the ship-owners very handsomely
FOR their venture.
The fishery" as il is locally termed.
entails the greatest risks and discomiorts
10 those engaged in it. The ships are very
small. running from POO to $50 tons. and
they carry from 100 to 20 men each In
all the twenty ships this year had 4,22'
souls aboard. one wonders how the men
are slowed away, but they are packed in
somehow. and seem TO bo proof against
all ordinary forms of illness. They sleep
V here they can and eat what they can get
Sufficient berth-room is supposed to be
available in the tween decks for each
man 10 spread a straw hammock. but,
under an Arctic temoerature. the poor
fellows. scantiIy clad. as many of them
are. may be pardoned if they strew
themselves along 10y the boilers, and in
every other Granny where some warmth
is obtainable. When the ship kills her
load of seals the men have To sleep and
live on deck Their pallets Of straw are
thrown overheard. their sleeping places
are filled with the all-important seals and
their clothes-baEs are piled on the fore
castle Then the men huddle in groups
about the decks until port is reached.
This year exceptional fortune awaited
the fleet They found the seals within two
days Of leaving port and the inst ship
was back on the eleventh day after sail
ing. For the week occupied in killing and
securing her load, the 245 men composing
her crew lived on sea biscuit and cold
water They were too busy to take time
for cooking i'm the days and too tired at
night Every man on board was spurred
on by the desire 10 get back to port the
first of the fleet
What toll and endurance this involved
viii be best realized when the fact is
borne in mind that the ships were off the
bleak coast of Labrador, that the fields
Of ice covered the whole ocean, that the
cold was away below zero. and that biz
yards frequently swept the foes while
the men ranged about the ice from sun
rise TO dark. frequently falling into the
water. For the whole voyage. whether II
occupies two weeks or six. the men never
change their clothing or wash themselves.
The whole company is packed every
night into a space no larger than an ordi-
nary room. without light, ventilation, or
sanitary arrangements. and until this sea-
son every ailment was treated by the
ships steward-who usually pinned his
faith to two medicines, Epson salts mixed
in a tin can, or black dTaught admins
tered by the cupful.
No more un2ttractiVe occupation could
well be imagined. and Yet il has a charm
for the young Newfoundlander, such as
going TO sea has had for boys in all ages.
Much has been written by Dana, Bullen,
and others Of the discomforts Of the
whaleship but even they are insignificant
beside the filth OF the sealer.
The objective is the young seal; it is a
baby Of one month old. HELPLESS, and al
most childlike in aspect; 1t is killed with
an iron-shod club and then cut open. The
skin has thick layer OF fat attached and
the two are called the 'pelt.T This is
torn away from the frame of the seal, and
when, as sometimes happens. the unfor-
tunate animal has merely been stunned
and not killed by the blow from the club,
its sufferiugS when II recoVers, denuded
Of its coat, are pitiable IN the extreme
The Deits are thrown into the hold The
oil from the fat and the blood saturate
the whole vessel. The men get covered
from head to foot with it; the ice plain is
SplaShed with the gore and smeared with
the oily trails that radiate in every di-
rection with the ship as d centre
The smell Of rancid seal flesh after a
week or 50 is such that no charnel-house
could compare II. All the work Of hand
ling the cargoes, refining the oil. prepar
ing the skins. and fitting out the vessels
is reiegated TO the south side Of the har-
Dor Of ST. Johns, where no other business
is carried on.
A good seal fishery. though. in spite Of
these drawbacks, is heartily welcomed by
everybody. 1t reacts upon the other pur-
suits Of the colony, and. as IL opens the
spring, its success OF failure influences /
the outfit for the cod fishery. In a small
colony like this, with but 100000 in all, the
OF $3.50. 600 or 50 within a month
means a great deal, while the investment
OF another 100000 IN the succeeding quar- |
ter in stimulating the cOdding industry |
makes all the difference between conf
dence and dependency in our local af-
fairs
Last year was an unusually good year,
and the total catch was 353. .0J seals. |
This spring il is almost certain that this |
total will be exceeded, and the outiitters |
are already talking Of adding 10 the feet |
for next year. Some Dundee and Nor
weRian whaleships are available. and the |
to be sold cheap. Two, OF even three, |
additional boats may be got for next year,
which viii give places 10 another loo
men.
More stringent regulations are called for
TO prevent the slaughter Of immature
seals. The men are not supposed TO Kill |
them until they are well grown. when they
weigh forty to foTty-five pounds: but this
year the butchers got among the herds |
too soon, and thousands Of those taken
tipped the scales at only thirty pounds. A
Of this would eXterminate the
herds IN a few years. il is therefore !
probable that the ships viii be restrained !
from sailing on March TO- the present |
date, and kept back until the 18th, which |
would give the seals two days more TO
grow, and they add about four pounds TO
their weight daily.
American epicures viii be surprised 10
learn that seal oil. when properly refined. /
forms excellent olive OF. and is used
as such to q large extent, no less than
!, 200 tons Of last years product being sold |
in Sicily for that purpose. Doubtless a !
large proportion Of il was exported to the
United States as best Lucca oil The
seal oil Is also used instead Of cod-liver
oil in some emulsions and other medicinal !
preparations But its main use is in maxi /
ing the best classes Of toilet soap. The |
skins are converted into patent-leather l
and kid gloves. The Newfoundland seal /
Is not fur-bearing mammal, like its kim |
dreo Of Bering Sea, and consequently il |
has no importance as a subject for seal /
skin sacks for ladies.
Old GOoseberry for New Ships.
Grom the English Navy and Military Recordl |