CHAP. XXXIV. SEAL MEADOWS. 207 



shore, and drifted about here and there on this stormy 

 gulf until they lost hope, and, Indian fashion, huddled 

 together, looked death in the face, and met him, sure 

 enough, surrounded by his worst terrors, starvation and 

 cold. 



' My men took it sorely to heart ; it discouraged them. 

 They durst not venture far on the ice after that ; and the 

 sight of those poor frozen Indians lost me many a fine 

 seal.' 



On March 24, 1857, large ice-fields, driven by the 

 N. and ISTW. wmd, grounded on the coast of Amherst 

 Island, one of the Magdalen group, and were found to 

 be a vast ' seal meadow.' Not less than 4,000 of these 

 animals, nearly all young, were killed in five days. But, 

 as too frequently happens in these successful hunts, the 

 excitement of the chase and the desire of gain lure the 

 daring seal-hunters too far away from land ; a land wind 

 sprang up and carried the ice out to sea before two of 

 the hunters could cross the field from the outer edge and 

 reach the shore. Nig-ht came on before boats could be 

 launched and start in pursuit ; the land wind increased to 

 a breeze, and when morning dawned, the field of ice was 

 miles away from the shore with a stormy sea between, 

 through which no boat dare venture. 



Besides winter seal-hunting on the ice of the Gulf, these 

 animals are taken during their migrations in spring and 

 autumn by means of nets. 



Seal-nets are made of very strong hempen cord, although 

 not more than the twelfth part of an inch thick. The 

 meshes are eight inches square, and will admit the head 

 and neck of the seal. Some nets are more than 100 



