For Fort*i and Stream. 
M e »t mid §orpoise hunting 
ON THE ST. LAWRENCE BELOW THE 
SAGUENAY. 
'T'HESE animals are found in great abundance down 
A the river St. Lawrence, from the mouth of the 
.Saguenay to the Gulf. I have no doubt but that there ex- 
ist several varieties of the common seal in these waters. 
(Ihoca vitulina Linn.) The animal, however, that the 
tourist is most anxious to see sailing down this beautifnl 
river, is the curious and interesting creature, the white 
porpoise. The school of white porpoise that sport about 
Tadousac Bay, present a novel and unique appearance- 
ever appearing on the surface of the water, and yet never 
giving the spectator more thau a glimpse of their forms- 
now approaching close in shore and anon far away in the 
river, half summersaulting, head appearing, but seldom 
seen, making the innocent ask, “have these animals heads?" 
In form, they bear a close resemblance to the whale and 
are about fifteen feet in length. 
My first expedition for seals, was made from Tadousac 
while there waiting for wind and craft to go salmon fish- 
mg up the Marguerite. Dr. Reed, of Philadelphia, a keen 
sportsman and devoted angler, joined in the cruise We 
had sat in front of our pretty little French cottage on the 
bluff of the bay and watched the seal and white porpoise 
play and sport in the broad expanse of waters, until our 
desire to capture one seal at least, became irrcsistablc and 
as there was nothing of especial interest about Tadousac 
save the ancient church, built in the sixteenth century 
by French traders, our time could be spent no more profit- 
ably and recreativcly than to go and learn the wavs of the 
strange inhabitants of the river. The Indians that camp 
every Summer on the arm of rocks that stretches far out 
dividing the Saguenay from the bay waters, are devoted to 
tins sport, it affording them their only means of subsistence. 
Every day at the change of tide, several canoes leave the 
shore with two Indians in each, armed with an old musket 
and spear, paddling swiftly for the point where the waters 
of the Saguenay and the flood tide come together, causing 
a terrible commotion, and forming whirlpools that will 
spin a boat as a boy a top. It was out to these mad foam- 
ing waters that we sailed one August day. There were on 
board, the master of the craft, two Indians and their can- 
oes, the Doctor and the writer. We had engaged the In- 
dians so as tole ave the sail boat and enter the current in 
canoes, that we might on observing a seal, pursue it unseen 
and swiftly, which could not be done in the yawl We 
were over three leagues from town, as the Captain informed 
us; the wind had died away and our sails hung in a 
dead calm. This was to our mind. Had the wind kept up 
the current could not have been entered in the canoes. As 
we lay too, the scene was enchanting beyoDd description. 
Not a ripple on the water; the grand shores of the St- 
Lawrence in full view. What a noble river this is in all 
its length and breadth. It has no superior on the conti- 
nent; and what added to this notable scene, in the writer’s 
eyes, was the resting of several canoes on the surface of the 
glassy waters, like dark spots, with their swarthy occu- 
pants waiting for seals to come in with the tide. There 
were several shoals of these visible, though leagues away. 
Every few minutes they indicated their position by the 
cataract-like noise, occasioned by their simultaneous ap- 
pearance at the surface of the water, spinning up with 
great force againt the water, elevating their heads and 
necks, and at times parts of their bodies when plunging 
forward. So vivacious and sportive are they when travel- 
r S , “„ C T 1 PaU,C f’ that raarincra say, “behold a seal’s wed- 
ding. The schools on arriving at the juncture of the 
aters, break ranks, angling separately. Entering the 
swift waters which literally swarm with small fishes, they 
feed upon them till satisfied, or until the abating of the 
hr° Ur C T a , n ° e T 3 r re S °°, Q „ far aWay fr ° m the anchored sail 
boat. The Indians paddled about in the contending, cur- 
rent with remarkable grace and ease, pushing now and 
then into the less troubled waters of the river. My Indian 
had made several unsuccessful spurts upon seals as they 
held their heads and necks high above water level. This 
want of success, together with my unpleasant position, 
kneeling in the canoe, was causing me to be weary, when 
right in front a seal elongated its neck to its utmost extent 
It looked so intelligent and beautiful I hesitated to shoot 
but tue thought of the value of the parts of these animals 
to the poorly supplied Indians, their skins being used for 
many purposes, boots, clothing, &c., the oil obtained 
from their flesh being puro und flue as that of the whale 
These facts alone would justify the killing of them. I 
raised my rifle; the canoe was as still as if held in a vice. 
The seal afforded an admirable shot. I fired, and as soon 
as the smoke cleared away, I saw that my shot had proved 
(Jead.y The bullet must have passed into the brain, as the 
animal did not move. The Indian pulled with all his vigor 
and motioned me to do the same, but as ho could not speak 
English, it took me a few minutes to read his gestures 
which delay lost me the seal by two lengths of the canoe- 
for though we paddled with might and main, the body 
sank ere wo reached it. On arriviug at the spot the water 
was crimson with blood. The Indian shook his head ex- 
claiming, “bad, bad." I only felt sovry that the dead seal 
would be of no profit to any one. To kill to waste is a 
wanton destruction of life, and no true sportsman or natu- 
ralist will be guilty of the practice. I motioned the In- 
dian to enter the current, where we coursed up and down, 
the canoe could not live a moment in these turbulent 
waters were it under the guidance of any but skilled 
hands. There were now in sight some dozen canoes' all 
coursing in or on the outer edges of the leaping, dashing 
waters. Another seal appeared, the boat nearest shot to- 
ward it in swift flight. In it were a man and woman- the 
squaw was the gunner. She rose, fired and missed’- the 
man also rose, raised the paddle and plied it to her back 
several times. This served to tighten her cords and tune 
her up for the next chance. Let a seal show its head now 
ten to one she kills. Who takes the bet? 
On shooting a seal it is necessary to harpoon it at once 
that the body may not sink. 
Looking westward I preceived the heavens growing 
black. A single heavy half moon shaped cloud covered 
the western sky. This had come up without notice or 
warning, save the dead calm of the day. My guide pointed 
to it, and acted out a big blow that was coming. Many of 
the canoes were far shoreward, all were making landward. 
I motioned the Indian to follow. The wind had already 
reached us, and was flying over the water like an evil 
spirit. Giant waves next lifted and tossed our frail birch 
canoe. Of course I was not afraid, “who’s afraid?” True 
I wished the river narrower and the sail boat nearer. Ah! 
there comes the white sail, like an angel, to our rescue- 
The wind increased into a gale and leaped frara wave to 
wave like a power invisible. We paddled like wet ducks 
amid the contending powers. The yawl came before the 
wind as if driven by a thousand engines. Our boat was in 
its course, and as it flew by I managed to entangle my pad- 
dle in its ropes and clutch its hull. A minute after we 
were on board. The other boat was picked up nearer 
land and the soil in was pleasant beyond degree. 
Not a few Indians and half breeds pursue seal hunting in 
the Fall as a business, and to the industrious and skilled 
among them, seal catching proves quite remunerative. 
Those who own yawls at the commencement of the Fall 
months, sail down the river to the haunts of the seal, living 
in their boats and not returning till Spring. 
The skins of porpoises and seal are worth from one to 
two dollars each. The hunter realizes from each adult seal 
about eight dollars in gold. An expert seal catcher will 
often earn in a season from three to four hundred dollars in 
gold. 
On examination I found the seal enveloped iu a jacket 
of fat. Over the brain, heart, and lungs it was an inch 
in thickness. Thus are the vital parts protected from the 
low temperature of the Arctic waters. 
One day I assisted a squaw in skinning a seal. The In- 
dian eat on the rocks near by bossing the work. She first 
slit the auiranl down the back some four feet. Next the 
ligaments, muscles and ncrveB were scraped and cut out. 
Then the coat of fat from which oil is extracted was removed 
and the balance of the animal thrown away. The muscles 
and ligaments aro dried and used for thread iu sewing 
moccasins and other articles of needle work made by In- 
dians. J 
There is a great diversity of •piniou among naturalists as 
to whether seals possess acute senses. Their powers of 
vision are considered good only in subdued light. Old 
hunters consider their senso of hearing excellent, even 
when under water. L. Lloyd in his book on Norway and 
Sweden, says, “music seems to have peculiar charms for 
this animnl." “During a residence of sonic years in one of 
the Hebrides,” remarks Mr. Lizars, “I had many opportuni- 
ties of witnessing this peculiarity, and in fact could call 
forth its manifestation at pleasure. In walking along the 
shore in the calm of u Summer afternoon, u few notes of 
my flute would bring half a score of them within thirty or 
forty yards of me, and there they would swim about with 
their heads above wutcr, like so many blnck dogs, evidently 
delighted with the sounds. For half uu hour, or indeed 
for any length of time I chose, I could tlx them to the spot, 
and when I moved along the water’s edge, they would fol- 
low me with eagerness, like the dolphins, who it Is said at 
tended Arion, us if auxlous to prolong the enjoyment. I 
have frequently witnessed the sumo effect when out on a 
boat excursion. The sound of the flute or of a common 
fife blown by one of the boatmen, was no sooner heard 
than a half dozen would start up within a few yards, 
wheeling round us as long as the music played, and disap- 
pearing one after auother when it ceased. " These marnmij 
ferous animals have no external car, in this resembling 
fishes, but liko them, possess this sense iu a modified, 
though perfect condition. Its sense of smell is also good’. 
Seal hunters say it can wind a man from anMncrodible dis- 
tance. The osteologist claims, however, that this senso 
must be imperfectly developed in seals, since their nostrils 
are closed by muscular uction while under water. Their 
sense of touch must be very limited, as the body is covered 
with hair, save the end of the nose. 
Seals are found on the sea coast of the world, are vivipa- 
rous, bringing forth and sucking their young on land. 
They arc polygamous and gregarious, living in large fam- 
ilies. 
The seal’s curious baits and habits are worthy of note. 
It swims with great facility, and dives with the ease and 
grace of a loon, and can remain in tho water a very long 
time. Like the shark, it often seizes its prey when on Its 
back. It has a curious and most ingenious way of ascend- 
ing a rock. It follows the swell of the sea to the rock and 
on the breaking of the wave it finds itself midway its 
height, to which, with its fore paws lapped, it clings until 
carried higher by by another wave, where it ngains lodges 
on the rock. This mode of advance is kept up until ar- 
riving at a point where it can draw its heavy clumsy hind 
quarters to a desired place of rest. 
The seal is not naturally timid. In its disposition, mild 
and confiding, and easily tamed. It has a curious habit 
of sleeping iu a bolt upright position, when tho sea is calm, 
with half its body out of water. 
A. B. L-vitnEnTON. 
AnTiHictAL Ice. — T ho San Francisco Chrome 1 c, in a re 
cent article on artificial ice, after giving tho history of its 
invention, goes on to say : “ The ice is formed by extract- 
ing the heat from wutcr. The manufactured article is 
inferior to natural ice, being more brittle, and conse- 
quently more wasteful. The most potent ngent em- 
ployed in the manufacture is the gas of ammoniu. This 
circulates through pipes and plates. Troughs twenty feet 
long and three feet wide are filled with water. The hollow 
plates separate the troughs. When the machinery is set 
in motion tho refrigeratiou begins ngainst the sides of the 
respective plates, aud advances rapidly until the requisite 
thickness is obtained. Each sheet then weighs nearly twen- 
ty tons, and as freezing goe9 on rapidly, an immense quan. 
tity can be produced daily,” 
