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  NOTES 
  ON 
  THE 
  SEAL 
  AND 
  WHALE 
  FISHERY 
  

   FOR 
  1903. 
  

  

  By 
  Thomas 
  Southwell, 
  F.Z.S. 
  

  

  The 
  prospects 
  for 
  the 
  Newfoundland 
  sealing 
  in 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  

   1903 
  were 
  good 
  from 
  the 
  first, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  brought 
  to 
  a 
  suc- 
  

   cessful 
  conclusion 
  without 
  any 
  untoward 
  circumstances, 
  or 
  a 
  

   repetition 
  of 
  the 
  unpleasant 
  features 
  which 
  marked 
  the 
  prepara- 
  

   tions 
  for 
  the 
  previous 
  voyage. 
  The 
  fleet, 
  by 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  the 
  

   ' 
  Grand 
  Lake 
  ' 
  and 
  the 
  ' 
  Windward,' 
  was 
  increased 
  to 
  twenty-two 
  

   vessels, 
  six 
  of 
  which 
  left 
  St. 
  John's 
  on 
  the 
  10th 
  of 
  March 
  with 
  

   the 
  good 
  wishes 
  of 
  all 
  concerned. 
  

  

  The 
  eastern 
  Seals 
  were 
  found 
  about 
  forty 
  miles 
  N.E. 
  of 
  the 
  

   Funks, 
  and, 
  as 
  they 
  covered 
  a 
  comparatively 
  small 
  area, 
  and 
  lay 
  

   very 
  thick, 
  notwithstanding 
  the 
  ice 
  being 
  heavy 
  the 
  work 
  pro- 
  

   ceeded 
  rapidly; 
  the 
  Hooded 
  Seals, 
  however, 
  were 
  very 
  scarce. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  to 
  return 
  was 
  the 
  ' 
  Virginia 
  Lake,' 
  on 
  the 
  28th 
  of 
  

   March, 
  with 
  22,677 
  Seals, 
  to 
  be 
  followed 
  on 
  the 
  29th 
  and 
  30th 
  

   by 
  the 
  'Aurora' 
  and 
  'Greenland,' 
  both 
  well-fished; 
  others 
  

   arrived 
  in 
  quick 
  succession. 
  The 
  ' 
  Virginia 
  Lake 
  ' 
  found 
  the 
  

   breeding 
  patch 
  on 
  the 
  17th, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  two 
  following 
  days 
  had 
  

   the 
  bulk 
  of 
  her 
  young 
  Seals 
  on 
  board, 
  which 
  consisted 
  of 
  21,582 
  

   young, 
  257 
  Bedlamer, 
  and 
  205 
  old 
  Harps 
  ; 
  also 
  483 
  young 
  and 
  

   150 
  old 
  Hoods. 
  

  

  The 
  weather 
  throughout 
  the 
  spring 
  was 
  terribly 
  cold, 
  and 
  

   high 
  winds 
  prevailed 
  ; 
  the 
  ice 
  was 
  heavy, 
  and 
  the 
  frozen 
  slob 
  

   thickly 
  covered 
  with 
  White-coats, 
  the 
  patch 
  being 
  described 
  as 
  

   the 
  largest 
  seen 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  ; 
  the 
  work 
  for 
  the 
  men 
  was 
  

   therefore 
  very 
  heavy, 
  and 
  they 
  laboured 
  at 
  killing 
  and 
  panning 
  

   until 
  overcome 
  by 
  sheer 
  fatigue. 
  As 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  vessels 
  were 
  

   well 
  into 
  the 
  patch, 
  it 
  was 
  speedily 
  cut 
  up, 
  and 
  after 
  the 
  first 
  

   scramble 
  little 
  else 
  was 
  done. 
  After 
  getting 
  the 
  pelts 
  on 
  board 
  

   they 
  headed 
  E.N.E. 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  Hoods. 
  This 
  fairly 
  epitomises 
  

   the 
  proceedings 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  vessels 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  fleet. 
  

  

  Zool. 
  4th 
  ser. 
  vol. 
  VIII., 
  February, 
  1904. 
  F 
  

  

  