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Show SErtUlnu in uABRADOR. Yields aiany aiilcs Scjuaro Talrly Teeming With Seals. Late in February tho Newfoundland sealing steamers break through the ice in St. John's harbor and make thoii way to somo northern outposts, lying thero until March 10, tho oarliest date on which the law allows them to "go to tho ice. " They stand out to sea until they meet tho immense fiold3 of ice from tho Arotio ocean. Thcso fields are often many square miles in extent and fairly teem with seals. A great seal hunter told mo that the sea seemed uddenly 'converted into an ocean of seals andiice. The steamer breaks into the jam and floats with it or skirts along tho-edgo, the crew, 200 or 800 in number, taking to the floating ice and living there for days and nights. The young seals fatten so rapidly that sealers say you can actually see them grow while you are looking at them. The poor creatures are oasily killed, a blow with tho butt end of a gaff finishing finish-ing them. Tho hnnter then "sculps," or skins them, inserting a sharp knif tmder the fat, and with marvelous dexterity dex-terity taking off tho "pelt" skin and fat together in about a minute and a half. A party ofjmen will "pan" their pelts pile them up to tho number of about 1,000 and thrust a gaff with the Bhip's flag into tbopan. When ther& are pans enough, thoisteamer breaks into in-to tho ice and haulsi them aboard with a lon'cey winch, or tine men drag them o the vessel's side. The Newfoundland seal hunters always al-ways speak of soals as "swiles," and for our word carry they say "spell." A schoolmaster who had been listening to a seal hunter '3 story said sneeringly: "Swiles! How do you-spell swiles? "Wo don't spell 'em," replied tit hunter; "wo most generally hauls 'em!" Gustav Kobbe'in St. Nicholas |