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Observations on the Seal- Fisher y of the Colony, and 

 some of the Physiological Peculiarities of Seals, 

 with Remarks on Dyer's Islands, 8fc. By Mr. A. 

 Johnstone Jardine, Member of the South African 



- Institution. 



[Read at the South Aft lean Institution.] 



The shipping reports bf the colony frequently advert to the 

 arrival of vessels on sealing expeditions. Such in general 

 refer to foreigners, whose activity on these shores naturally 

 affects the domestic trade of the colony, or tends altogether to 

 destroy that portion of it under review. That the produc- 

 tiveness of the seal-skin trade is considerably diminished, 

 through apparent inattention is obvious. Formerly every 

 island-rock east and west of Table Bay, swarmed with seals. 

 The stock was kept up, because the nurseries were preserved, 

 and the jubilee seasons strictly observed. The presence of 

 the American vessels has contributed most powerfully to 

 lessen the colonial trade in seal-skins, and, except in the in- 

 stance of Dyer's Islands, (important from their contiguity to 

 Cape Town), there appears to be no remaining spot secured 

 to the Cape interest. . . 



Of the value of the seal-trade, the following notice of re- 

 cent occurrence may suffice. In the month of April, of the 

 present year, three American vessels were busily employed 

 in sealing off these coasts. Respecting the success of two of 

 the vessels, nothing is decidedly known, but the one which 

 anchored, and was visited by the Port Officer, had on board 

 from 3 to 4,000 seal skins.* Now these may be valued at 

 four Spanish dollars each in America, (Rds. 10 : 4,) which, 

 taking the number at 4,000, gives Rds. 42,000, or £3,150. 



In the event of a free trade with China, the beneficial re- 

 sults which shall accrue to the colony, by the accession of 

 shipping to our ports, can scarcely be doubted. Now, the 

 seal skin is an object of interesting purchase and enviable 

 barter with the Chinese, hence the Americans, on this ac- 

 count, maintain a preference in the tea-mat ket. The subject 

 is one of no inferior moment to the Cape merchant, and points 

 out the objects of profitable interchange within his immediate 

 reach. 



By way of exciting a degree of attention to some of the singu- 

 larproperties of the seal, the following notices are submitted to 

 the attention of the South African Institution. They are not 

 intended to supply that information which the scientific Na- 



* South Africa" Advertiser. 



