Page:Tourist's Maritime Provinces.djvu/410

346 The first week of March sees the departure from St. John harbour of the seal-killers, nowadays on strong steam vessels. Their goal is the moving field of ice which jams about the northern shores of Newfoundland and carries on its surface herds of harp and hood hair-seals. The hood is a savage and unsociable native of Greenland. The male when attacked blows an inflated skin over his head. The harp family returning to their habitat in Hudson's Bay from the winter migration climb on the ice floe in the neighbourhood of Belle Isle, but being a mild and gregarious species maintain a separate community from the hoods. The young of both tribes are born on the ice toward the end of February. The date when they may be slaughtered—mother seals, dogs and "white-coats"—is governed by law. The pups grow at the rate of 15 pounds a week during the first month after birth. The hair seal is valued for its fat, from which oil is rendered, and for its hide. The sealing steamers, some of them carrying crews of 200 to 300 dauntless Newfoundlanders, are outfitted by their owners. The best ships are captained by skippers who in past seasons have secured the greatest number of seals. They work on a salary and percentage basis. The crew is "found" and receives one-third of the cargo of seals. The steamers for the gulf fishery sail from St. John's for Port-aux-Basques and from there ascend the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They are