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UNI , TY 



THE SEAL TRADE. 



perils. and adventures not less disastrous 



ine than the Whale-fishery itself. But on these we 



must not dwell. 



With regard to the Seal-fishery of the South, the 

 English and Americans have exclusively divided it 

 between them, and with very great profits. It has 

 lately been stated that they together employ not 

 fewer than sixty vessels in the trade, of from 250 

 to 300 tons burden. These vessels are strongly 

 built, and have each six boats, like those of the 

 whalers, together with a small vessel of forty tons, 

 which is put in requisition when they reach the 

 scene of their operations. The crew consists of 

 about twenty-four hands ; their object frequently 

 being to select a certain fixed locality, from which 

 they make their various battues. Thus it is very 

 common for the ship to be moored in some secure 

 bay, and to be partially unrigged, whilst, at the 

 same time, the furnaces, &c. required for making 

 the oil, are placed on shore. The little cutter is 

 then rigged and manned with about half the crew, 

 who sail about the neighbouring islands, and send 

 a few hands on shore when they see Seals, or 

 where they wish to watch for them. This vessel 

 can hold about 200 Seals, rudely cut up, which will 

 yield about 100 barrels of oil: this is transported 

 to head-quarters and melted. The campaign fre- 

 quently lasts for three years, and in the midst of 

 unheard-of privations and dangers. Some of the 

 crew are sometimes left on distant barren spots, 

 and the others being driven oft' by storms, they are 



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