THE ANTARCTIC SEAL FISHERIES. 429 



4. METHODS OF CAPTURE AND OF TAKING THE SKINS AND OIL. 



THE FUK-SEAL HUNT. 



Fur-seals, according to their sex and age, are known to the sealers as wigs, or adult males; 

 bulls, or those not quite as old; clapmatches, or adult females; yearlings, or the half grown of 

 both sexes; gray or silver pups, which are the young of nearly a year old; and the black pups, or 

 the very young before their coats are changed to gray. 



In size there is a great difference between the male and female, the former, when full grown, 

 being about 7 feet in length, while the latter never exceeds 4leet. The large males are not the 

 most numerous, but are very powerful. 



Having reached the seal islands measures are at once taken to effect a landing and search for 

 the animals. This is often the most difficult part of the sealer's work. It may be several weeks 

 before it is possible to get ashore, so dangerous is the boiling surf. Having at last made a landing 

 the men proceed to erect rude huts or set up their tents, in which to pass perhaps months before 

 the vessel shall return to take them off. At the island of Diego Ramirez, off Cape Horn, the 

 vessels usually land two boat crews, with salt and tents and provisions for two months, during 

 which time the men are expected to take and salt as many skins as possible, to be ready when 

 their schooner returns, which may be at the appointed time or they may be left for an entire year, 

 misfortune having overtaken their comrades. At Staten Land, also off Cape Horn, the custom is 

 for vessels to anchor in harbors on the north side of the island, and the men in boats go round to 

 the south side and gather the skins, hauling their boats upon the beach and using them as shelter 

 at night. Each man takes with him a water-tight bag of provisions. In a few days they will 

 return to their vessel with the skins they have taken, and after receiving a fresh supply of pro- 

 visions return to the shore for more seals. 



In the South Shetland seal fishery the vessels are anchored in the safest harbors, and crews 

 sent out in boats to cruise along the shores and to capture seals wherever they can be found. 



The common implement of capture is an oak or hickory club about 5 feet long, with which the 

 animal is stunned, and if need be is stabbed with the sealing knife. At the present day the ani- 

 mals have become so scarce and shy at the once favorite resorts that the hunter often has to watch 

 and wait for them singly, and it is frequently difficult to approach near enough to dispatch them 

 with the club, so that a rifle must be used. Where new rookeries are found the seals are quite 

 tame and are easily approached and clubbed. The rifle is never used unless absolutely necessary, 

 for it makes holes in the skin that greatly reduce their value. 



" In former times," says Scammon, " when fur-seals abounded, they were captured in large 

 numbers by the ordinary seal-club in the hands of the sealer, who would slay the animals right 

 and left by one or two blows upon the head. A large party would cautiously land to leeward of 

 the rookery, if possible; then, when in readiness, at a given signal all hands would approach them 

 shouting and using their clubs to the best advantage in the conflict. Many hundreds were fre- 

 quently taken in one of these ' knock-downs,' as they were called. As soon as the killing was over 

 the flaying commenced. Some sealers became great experts in skinning the animals, and the 

 number of skins one would take off in the course of an hour would be a decidedly fishy story to 

 tell. However, to flay fifty seals in a day would be regarded as good work. It will readily be 

 seen that a sealing-ship's crew, numbering twenty or more, would make great havoc among a seal 

 rookery in very short time, and it is no matter of surprise that these valuable fur-bearing animals 

 soon became comparatively scarce." * 



'Marine Mammalia, p. 153. 



