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old Seals had been taken. The ice was streaked with blood in all 
directions and spotted with carcases, the young ones in thousands 
yelling for their mothers, following the skins as the men dragged 
them to the ships, and sucking the crargs (i.e. skins) in desperation. 
“ In many instances, old Seals with a bullet through them, or 
a hole in the back of their neck that one could easily put both 
hands into, could be seen attempting to nourish their young. Very 
frequently the mother was shot in the act of suckling its young ; 
this being considered the most favourable chance, as there is no 
risk of the Seal sinking, and saves the labour of hauling it on the 
ice. In this case the young usually continued to suck, unconscious 
of the change until driven away by the llencher. 
“It Avas quite a common occurrence for an old Seal coming on 
to its young to be surrounded by five or six starving Avretches, 
Avhich she Avould drive off very savagely ; but as soon as one Avas 
aAvay another would be at her, until her patience Avould be utterly 
exhausted, and she Avould run into the Avater again in desperation, 
Avithout effecting her purpose. 
“As the Avork Avent on avo could easily distinguish the cubs 
that had been Avithout their mothers for one, two, or three days ; 
the last being mostly dead, the others craAvling over the ice in lots, 
huddling together for heat, and trying to suck one another, until they 
also succumbed. The first day the men Avere directed to kill the pup 
Avhen they Avere certain it belonged to a dead mother ; but Ave Avero 
obliged to stop this, it Avas so difficult to tell Avhich Avas the right one. 
“ Above I have given a faithful description of hoAv the Seal 
fishery is eonducted at present, Avithout exaggerating in any Ava3^ 
I overheard some of my men saying to one another, ‘It is a shame, this 
sort of Avork,’ and so it is.” All honour to Captain Gray, Avho, amongst 
others, did his utmost to prevent it. ItAvas entirely by the efforts of the 
sealers themselves that a better state of things has been brought about. 
Before the introduction of steam, a feAv of the sailing ships 
usually managed to get amongst the Seals Avhen they Avere Avith 
their young ; but most of the vessels had to wait and Avatch for the 
young brood coming to sea ; and, although they also frequently 
secured good cargoes, this method Avas far less hurtful than that 
just described, because the majority of the old ones Avere allowed 
