So An Hifi or ical Journal of 



after they are brought forth, the old ones carry them to the Wa- 

 ter, and from Time to Time bring them alhore again to fuck : 

 That the Time of fucking them is the Month of February ; 

 when the young ones, which they aim chiefly to catch, go fcarce 

 any more into the Water : That at the firft Noife the old ones 

 £y, making a great Noife to give Notice to the young ones to 

 follow them ; which they never fail to do, if the Fifhermen do 

 not make Hafte to give them a^ Blow on the Nofe with a Stick, 

 which is enough to kill them.-— The Number of thefe Animals 

 mull be very great upon thefe Coafts, if it true, as the fame Au- 

 thor affirms, that in one Day they take fometimes eight hundred 

 of the young ones. 



The fécond Species of thefe Seals, which M. Denys fpeaks of, 

 is very fmall, and has little more Oil but what it has in its Blad- 

 der. Thefe lafl never go far from the Shore, and there is always 

 ©ne that ftands Centinel : At the firft Signal he gives, they all 

 throw themfelves into the Sea : After feme Time they approach 

 the Land, and raife themfelves upon their hind Feet to fee if 

 there is nothing to fear : But in Spite of all their Precautions, 

 fhey furprize a great Number of them on Shore, and it is almofl 

 impoffibie to take them any other Way. 



It is agreed, that the Flefh of the Seal is not bad to eat, but 

 life 0^ the Fle^h niore profitable to make Oil of it : 



aml^kin of the '^^^^ ^^^^ difficult. They melt the Fat on 

 ^eal Fire, and it diffolvesinto an Oil. Some- 



times they only put the Fat of a great many 

 Seals on Square Planks; and leave it to difiblve of itfelf, a Hole 

 being made at the Bottom, for the Oil to run through. This Oil 

 whiill it is new is very good for Kitchen Ufes ; but that of the 

 young Seals foon grows rank, and the other dries too much, 

 upon keeping any time : They then ufe it to burn, or to drefs 

 Skins with. It keeps clear a long Time, has no Smell, and 

 leaves no Lee, nor any Kind of Foulnefs at the Bottom of the 

 VefleL 



At the firfl fettling the Colony, they ufed a great Quantity 

 of Seal Skins to make Muffs ; but that is now out of Fafhion; 

 and their chief Ufe now is to cover Trunks, tffr. When they 

 are tanned they have almofl the fame Grain as Morocco Lea- 

 ther : They are not fo line, but they are Uronger, and wear 

 better. They make of them very good Shoes, and Boots ; which 

 will not take Water. They are aKb ufed to cover Seats of 

 Chairs, the Frames of which are fooner worn out than the Co- 

 vers. They tan thefe Skins here with the Bark of the Spruce 

 Fir, and in the Tindure, they ufe to dye them black, they mix 

 a Powder, drawn from certain Stones they find upon the Banks of 

 the Rivers ; which are called Thwider Stottes^ f>r Marcafites. 



Tie • 



