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Show &Em.iria in uABRADOR. Fields Many Miles Square Fairly Teeming With Seals. Late in February tho Newfoundland sealing steamers break through the ice In St John's harbor and mako their way to some northorn outposts, lying thero until Maroh 10, tho earliest date on which the law allows thorn to "go to the ioe. " They stand out to Eea until they meet the immense fields of ice from tho Arotio ocean. Those fields are often many square miles in extent and fairly teem with seals. A groat seal hunter told me that the sea seemed suddenly converted into an ocean of seals and ice. Tho steamer breaks into the jam and floats with it or skirts along the edge, tho crew, 200 or 300 in nnmber, taking to the floating ice and living there for days and nights. The young seals fatten so rapidly that sealers say you can actually seo them grow while you are looking at them. The poor creatures are easily killed, a blow with the butt end of a gaff finishing finish-ing them. Tho hunter then "sculps," or skins them, inserting a sharp knife under tho fat, and with marvelous dexterity dex-terity taking off tho "pelt" skin and fat together in about n minute and a half. A party of men will "pan" their pelts pile them up to tho number of about 1,000 and thrust a gaff with tho ship's flag into tho pan. When there are pans enough, tho steamer breaks into in-to the ico aud hauls them aboard with a donkey winch, or tho men drag them to tho vessel's side. Tho Newfoundland seal hunters always al-ways speak of seals as "swiles," and for our word carry they say "spell." A bohoolmaster who had been listening to a seal hunter'3 story said sneeriugly: "Swiles! How do you spell swiles?' "We don't spell 'em," replied tl hunter; "wo most generally hauls "em!" Gustav Kobbo in St. Nicholas |