CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



250 miles. This method has now been success- 

 fully accomplished by harbouring in a position so 

 that the edge of the land-ice may be reached by 

 means of sledges and dogs in the month of May 

 with the assistance of the natives. 



A considerable amount of capital is required in 

 'whaling;' the vessels fitted out at Dundee or 

 Peterhead, usually screw-steamers, are from four 

 to six hundred tons, costing, when fully equipped, 

 fifteen or sixteen thousand pounds. The vessels 

 make one voyage to the seal-fishery, and another 

 to the whale-fishery, in each year ; they all stop 

 for a time at Shetland, in order to take in their 

 crews, the Shetlanders being hardy fellows, and 

 good at the work. All the men of a vessel share 

 more or less in the venture, having a percentage 

 on the capture, as well as a fixed wage. Some of 

 the chief functionaries, such as the harpooners, are 

 paid high wages. A common sailor is paid, on an 

 average, forty pounds sterling for the voyage. 



THE SEAL-FISHERY. 



The seal is not a member of the Whale family, 

 but belongs to a distinct order of marine mam- 

 malia, called the Phocidce, which are more fish- 

 like than the cetaceans. Seals are carnivor- 

 ous, and live mostly on fish ; existing chiefly 

 in the water, they usually bring forth their 

 young on the ice, on which they delight at times 

 to squat The natural history of the seal is 

 still very obscure : there are several genera and 

 species, but it is the genus Phoca which forms the 

 object of pursuit in the arctic seas. The common 

 seal is from three to five feet long, but some are 

 much larger, extending from eight to ten feet in 

 length, and being of corresponding girth. There 

 have been curious speculations as to some points 

 of the natural history of the seal. It was 

 stated by Provost Yeaman of Dundee, at the 

 meeting of the British Association which was held 

 in Dundee, that the young seals killed in the 

 spring were mostly, if not altogether males ! 

 Some experienced men long engaged in the seal- 

 ing-trade say they never saw a female, and it is 

 inferred from this circumstance that the animal 

 must breed twice a year. They produce one or 

 two at a birth. 



720 



The first capture of seals, as a matter of com- 

 merce, of which we have an authentic account, 

 was in 1803, when Captain Geary of the Robert 

 brought home 180 along with his seven whales. 

 Large numbers are caught ; ships have been 

 known to bring home as many as 22,000 ; and 

 from 3000 to 5000 is common. 



The vessels employed in the seal-fishery usually 

 leave this country about the end of February, or 

 beginning of March. They are generally delayed 

 at Lerwick (Shetland Isles) for a week or so, where 

 they engage the greater number of their crew. 

 Seals are found in great numbers in the Green- 

 land seas ; but the principal place for hunting 

 them is at Spitzbergen, where numerous herds 

 are to be found both on the ice and on the land. 

 They are easily wounded by means of a spear; 

 but they are difficult to kill, and are sometimes 

 deprived of their skin before life becomes extinct 

 To say the truth, the scene is a terrible one 

 it is sheer butchery, the seals being put to 

 death with clubs or guns, or whatever comes 

 readiest to hand. The usual day's work for a ship's 

 crew is to kill five hundred old seals, and two 

 thousand young ones. Useless labour is saved 

 by skinning the seal where it falls. With the 

 skin, as much of the blubber is brought away as 

 possible. A young seal about a fortnight or three 

 weeks old will yield thirty pounds of blubber ; 

 of course, the old ones yield more. The labour 

 of dragging the skins to the ship, which may be 

 a good way off, is considerable ; and after that, 

 the skins have to be scraped, the fat being placed 

 in barrels, and the skins stowed away in the 

 hold. These, as the reader is aware, are used for 

 a great variety of purposes ; and the oil of the 

 seal is preferred in many respects to that of the 

 whale. 



The beautiful seal-skin jackets of commerce 

 are the product rather of otaries than of seals 

 proper. The supply was formerly obtained from 

 the southern seas ; but is now mainly procured 

 from islands off the coast of Alaska. It may be 

 remarked, en passant, that a large number of 

 the jackets and cloaks which are sold as ' real 

 seal-skin' are not made out of seal-skin at all, 

 but are only clever imitations, made out of beaver, 

 rabbit, or other skins. 



