FISHERIES AND SEAL-HUNTING. 57 



his loss at 15 "roubles," ($10.50;) but if the same accident happens with 

 a walrus, his loss amounts to 60 " roubles," ($42.) It is not necessary 

 to remark that the huntsman is often in danger of losing his life. 



Preparing the oil. — From the fat of the animals which are hunted 

 or fished for in the sea, as well as from the blubber of the whales which 

 sometimes approach the coast of Lapland when the tide comes in, and 

 which remain on dry land when the tide goes out again, an oil is pre- 

 pared, which forms an important article of commerce. 



In nearly all the coast- villages of the White Sea, there are oil-manu- 

 factories. The oil is prepared in the following manner : The fat, which 

 has been secured by scraping, is thrown into large tubs and well shaken ; 

 the tubs are then exposed for some days to the heat of the sun. After 

 this time, a layer of clear, limpid oil forms upon the surface, its color 

 being yellowish ; this is the first quality. The second quality is obtained 

 by melting the residue of the scraped fat with the pieces of cut fat in a 

 caldron containing a small quantity of water; this oil has a dark- brown 

 color. The caldrons used for this purpose generally hold from 30 to GO 

 "pouds" (1,080 to 2,100 pounds) of fat; but the Archangel merchants, 

 who send large quantities abroad, have in some villages caldrons holding 

 from SO to 120 " ponds " (2,880 to 4,320 pounds) of fat. In from ten to 

 twelve hours, the whole mass is melted, and the oil is poured into casks 

 holding from 20 to 32 "ponds," (720 to 1,152 pounds.) A " poud" of fat 

 of the white orca usually yields 32 pounds of oil, while a "poud" 

 of fat yields only 30. As regards the fat itself, the walrus, on an 

 average, yields from 10 to 28 " pouds," (300 to 1,028 pounds;) the white 

 orca, from 15 to 25 "pouds," (540 to 930 pounds;) and of the different 

 species of seal, the Oystophora cristata yields 9 "pouds," (324 pounds;) 

 the Phoca grcenlandica, from 4 to "pouds," (114 to 210 pounds;) the 

 Phoca annellata, 3 "pouds," (108 pounds;) and young seal with white 

 fur, 1£ "pouds," (54 pounds.) 



Preparing and cutting the skins. — The skins of the Phoca grcenlan- 

 dica are bought by some merchants of Archangel, who salt them down 

 in casks and send them abroad. These casks contain from 50 to 80 skins 

 each, and they usually reckon from 2£ to 4 pounds of salt to each skin. 

 Most of the skins of seals, orcse, and walruses are used in the vil- 

 lages themselves. 



When the skins have remained in the water for some time, and have 

 lost all their hair, they are dried and tanned, and straps are made of 

 them. 



The skin of a large orca is cut into four straps, two from the back and 

 two from the sides ; that of a small orca, into three, two from the 

 sides and one from the back. These straps are tanned and made into 

 soles of boots and shoes and into harness. The skin of an orca can be 

 made into from four to six pairs of reins and twelve pairs of soles. 



From the skin of the Phoca grcenlandica 70 "sage^nes" (490 feet) can 

 be cut. 



