NOTES ON THE SEAL AND WHALE FISHERY. 45 



got this year off the east coast than usual. To show the relative 

 results of the two years, I give the returns for the last two seasons 

 of the nineteen steamers : — 



No. killed. Net weight. Approximate value. 



1900 353,276 7523 tons .696,720 



1901 345,380 6651 „ 77,819 



On the same basis as last year the produce of 1901 should have 

 weighed 7354 tons, a difference of 703 tons; whereas the actual 

 difference was 872 tons, or a loss of 169 tons. 



The ' Aurora ' made the largest catch, viz. 32,407 ; the ' Nep- 

 tune ' next, with 27,628. There were eleven others above 15,000, 

 and three others above 10,000, leaving two, the 'Kite' with only 

 8,216, and the ' Harlaw ' with 453, both of which went to the 

 Gulf fishery, which, as has been already explained, was virtually a 

 failure. The average of the whole was 18,178, ten vessels having 

 more than that number, and nine less. The estimated value of 

 the produce, at about the same rate as last year, is given above. 

 Pale Seal-oil was worth £23 per tun of 252 gallons. 



The St. John's ' Evening Telegram,' commenting upon the 

 immature quality of the Harp Seals brought in this season, 

 advocates a further amendment of the sealing laws, with a view 

 to postponing the departure of the ships until the 12th or 13th 

 of March, pointing out the enormous loss incurred by the de- 

 struction of the extra number of small Seals killed to make up 

 the weight of a full cargo ; but, on the other hand, there are 

 those who deprecate the too frequent alterations in the sealing 

 laws, or the attempt to legislate for an abnormal season such as 

 that just passed certainly was. 



Since the season of 1897 only three Right Whales have been 

 seen in the Greenland Seas by the Scotch whalers, two of which 

 were killed. It is not surprising therefore that in the past 

 season, for the first time for I know not how many years, not a 

 single British whaler has visited the once prolific seas between 

 East Greenland and Spitzbergen. Whether the Whales are 

 actually worked out, or whether they will again be found when 

 the ice returns to its normal condition in these seas — a change 

 in which direction seems to have already set in — I cannot venture 

 an opinion ; but the fact remains that the once highly remunerative 



