GREENLAND HAIR SEAL. 217 



between the parallels of sixty-seven and seventy-five 

 degrees north latitude, and the meridian of five degrees 

 east, and seventeen degrees west longitude. This 

 fishery is prosecuted principally by English, Norwegian, 

 and German vessels, the English taking perhaps the 

 most skins, and the Norwegians excelling in the flaying. 

 The steamers leave Dundee, Hamburg, and Norway in 

 March. A few also start from Greenock, and from St. 

 John (New Brunswick). There are about sixty vessels 

 in all. Those from Newfoundland are not allowed to 

 clear before March 10th. 



This is a very important fishery ; over 132,762 skins 

 from Greenland, and 274,995 from Newfoundland, 

 together 407,757, were imported in 1891 : this is a 

 marked improvement to the last few years. The catch 

 varies considerably from year to year. Sometimes large 

 quantities are taken, owing to the facility with which 

 the sealing steamers get at the herds ; while at other 

 times, though the Seals are abundant, it is impossible to 

 approach them on account of the closeness of the ice 

 floes, and the vessels are detained several weeks, and at 

 the end of that time many of the younger animals have 

 taken to the water. The risk incurred is considerable, 

 the vessels being sometimes enclosed by the floes, and 

 the sailors have to keep a good look-out from the crow's 

 nest at the top of the mast. Approach is sometimes 

 made to the Seals by the steamers ramming the ice with 

 their prows. The Dundee Seal and Whale Fishing 

 Company lost the Ueaolute in this w^ay in 188G, and the 

 Dundee steamer the Eagle was wrecked oft" the coast of 

 Newfoundland in 1887 ; the crew, consisting of 250 men, 

 being all lost. The skins, already piled together, have 

 sometimes to l)e abandoned on the ice, as the floes begin 

 to close in. 



