368 LABRADOR 



has a doorway which, once the seals have entered the room, 

 is raised by winding up the capstan on the land. As the 

 seals trim the shores, and even follow round the bays on 

 their long journey, many are caught in this way. I have 

 known one settler's family to take nine hundred seals, while 

 three hundred to four hundred forms a catch by no means 

 unusual. Not nearly so many seals, however, are taken 

 nowadays, spring or autumn, and one can see many aban- 

 doned capstans standing on rocky points. At one little 

 Labrador settlement a trapper of the name of Jones be- 

 came so rich through regular large catches of seals that he 

 actually had a carriage and horses sent from Quebec, and 

 a road made to drive them on; while he had a private 

 musician hired from Canada for the whole winter to per- 

 form at his continuous f eastings. I was called on awhile 

 ago to help to supply clothing to cover the nakedness of this 

 man's grandchildren. 



Yet another mode of welcome the poor harp gets from 

 southerners, when it leaves its northern home to visit us. 

 That is given with buck-shot and musket, ball and rifle. 

 The process is called swatching, and is carried on by two 

 men in a light rodney, or punt, which is sometimes provided 

 with runners. The seals are bound to rise in the " ponds, " 

 or fissures, between the great pans of the Arctic floe, to take 

 breath. The plan is to "get by a likely lead of water," 

 builds "gaze, " or shelter, out of ice blocks, and "bide your 

 time." You must be absolutely alert to get any seals. I 

 have myself chosen a small lead and watched, lying down 

 with rifle ready loaded, cocked, and pointed, and yet many 

 times a great harp has noiselessly put up his head and 

 shoulders and gone down, leaving only a ripple on the sur- 



