Tin: KISIIKRIES. I."."/ 



on lioanl tlie ft^'aiiu-i^, wlm^i- uiiilcil cie\v.- do ikiI cxrcL-il 'i,C>0(). 

 The (•()>t of titting out a ■^caliiiL; >leamev is \a-i-y giral, aii'l il may 

 In- iliiiilitcil wIh'Iir-i', ouc Vi-ar willi anollu'!-, tin- caiiitalist- fiini 

 it a very jnofitalilc iii\ e-.-tiiuiil. The pi-izi^s, liowt-viT, aio .-<r 

 ciKuaiinii- tliat, in spitr <it' tailuii-.- aiul disappointments, tlie seal 

 tislii-rv will continue to attract enterpri/ing capitalists. The 

 losses of one or t\^'o sea-nn- are expected to be made good by the 

 success oF a tlui'd. At all e\ euls it is idle to expect that steanier.s^ 

 will ever be withdrawn IVom tlii> industry and the old sailing- 

 vessels re-iiitrodiu;eil. As well look for the abolition of railways 

 and the restoration of stage coaches. Men and affairs will adju.-t 

 themselves, in dui- time, to the change ; but a certain amount of 

 sittfering, in the tran>iti(in >tage, is inevitable, as in all similar 

 revolutions in estaldi-ln-il indu>trie>. 



THE Fl'Tl ICi: OF THK SKAI. FISHKItY. 



Tlu-i'e is no reason why the seal tishery slamld not long con- 

 tinue to lie a source ol wealtli tn the country. Wise restrictinns 

 have ln'cn, by legislative enactment, recently jilaced on tlie pro- 

 secution of this indu-try. Formerly every one '"did what was- 

 right in his own eyes."' The [)ursait of the old breeding seals 

 was followed up, after a heavy draft had been made on tin- 

 young, in the earlier part of the season, and thousands on thou- 

 sands of these mature seals, on which the maintenance of the 

 species depended, wia-e ruthlessly slaughtered. This, in the end, 

 would have exterminated the seal. Steamers are now j^rohibiteil 

 from making second trii)s, and no seals are to be killed after 

 April 20th. This Avill, to a large extent, prevent the destruction 

 of oLl seals ; furthei', no .-teamer is allowed to leave ]iort for the 

 seal tishery till March litli, and no seals can be killed till IMarch 

 14th. This prevents the taking of seals that aie immature. 

 These regulations, which arc rigidly enforced, will tend to the 

 conservation of this industry, the value of which to the colony 

 may be estimated at half a million to three-quarters of a million 

 dollars. Its value is enhanced by the consideration that it can 

 be jirosecuted at a time when othei' northern countries are locked 



