The Washington herald., 1909-03-14

killed, or else have managed to escape
with the help Of the bulls and mothers.
the attention of the hunters is turned u
the "oldsters." In small boats and on the
foe ice they stalk their prey with rifles.
firing explosive bullets. The mode Ct
hunting is well shown by the manifests Of
the returning sealing ships. the first ones
IN having practically no old seals in theif
holds
FoI example, while the Adventure, which
beat the feet home last season. carried
2I.la young ''harps." she had only 81 old
"harps" and ! old hood" But TIE lest
two ships. the Neptune and Diana. had
about $500 old ''harps" between them. All
Of the late ships had made up their
catches largely from ''bedlamers. with
few hoods because most OF the ''harps"
had been killed by their more fortunate
friends.
Small Catch Last Season.
Last season was not a lucky one The
total catch Of eighteen vessels amounted
TO but 2l3S63 seals, which was a decrease
Of 81 500 from the catch of 1907 II is
hoped that this season the catch win run
TO 100000. But no man can tell There is
not a business in the world into which the
II than into sealing. The whole enter
prise is often a gamble from start to I'm
ish, a gamble against wind. storm. ice.
weather. and TIE whimsicalities Of nature.
The total value Of the cargoes OF the fleet
last year was SS75.442 and the seals sold
az an average Of $3.50 hundredweight
In order that the crews shall be as keen
as possible in the hunting. they are paid
on a share basis. One-third Of the value
of the catch is set aside and divided
among the men according TO their ratings
1t is not an extraordinary thing for a ship
which has been out three weeks TO come
back with catch that will net its crew
Sl2O a man. As only one trip Is made by
each ship. and the killing of seals is for
bid6en after April i. this Is good pay for
a sailor.
However. il should be remembered that
in the last two seasons. when the catches
ran Hight. such returns were unknown.
The Adventures crew came out best last
spring, netting S79.79 a man. Another ship,
which must have had atrocious luck, net
ted only S2.2S a man.
Loss often Heavy.
owners more than the crew. because.
aside from the expense OF fitting out and
they are obliged by custom
10 advance each sailor and hunter s15
worth Of pork, biscuit. &c. TO keep his
family supplied while he is absent.
The Atlantic seal is not valued as is his
relative. the seal Of Bering Sea, for his
IL
pocketbOOks and other articles. and his
blubber or fat, which lines the skin 20
depth of several inches. makes a sweet oil
II is shrewdly suspected by the firms that
deal in seals that a considerable quantity
Of this oil is later turned into olive oil and
fOisted on an unsuspecting public In bot
ties bearing Italian labels. But Of this no
man may speak definitely. II IS merely
surmise, and 10 be regarded as such.
Mixed with paraffin. too. seal oil makes
an acceptable illuminant
Cats" Made Into Bushes.
Cavalry regiments the world over are
indebted to the baby seals, the cats" as
the hunters term them. weighing from
thirty-five to forty pounds, when an the
body except the blubber and hide has
been removed. Their fur. soft and sleek.
Is made into BUSHES The British army
and the Russian, also. take a great many
OF the cats pelts from the Newfound-
land dealers while milliners In Paris and
London willingly seize the opportunity 10
make them into women's hats. Some few
are even good enough 10 be made into
cheap coats. although they are never able
TO compete with the Alaska fur seal.
From now until April the sealing fleet
will be smashing its way through the
Tsck-ice and foes in that region north
OF % There may be never q law
OF God or man" In those waters. but
there Is the law OF the sealer: Steer clear
or my killing gangs and I'll steer clear OF
yours. And during the first week in
April, If the luck has been good. the seal
ers will begin to drift back to ST. Johns.
battered and dirty, disigured by ice and
wind