WHALING.
The pursuit of the Right whale in the Arctic seas calls into play all
the instincts and resources of the hunter; the dangers of ice and
climate add zest to the chase, while the value of the quarry is the
incentive which has brought forth all the daring and ingenuity of the
whaler in his efforts to capture this most valuable and wary animal, and
has caused him to assume risks unequalled in any other calling. The
capture of a single whale repays the expenditure incurred in outfitting
a steam whaling ship, and if more than one is killed on the voyage, it
means large dividends to the owners and small ones to the officers and
crew of the ship.
Several species of whales are found in the waters of the northern
ice-laden seas, but there is only one prize, known amongst other common
names as the Greenland whale, Right whale and Bowhead whale, and
scientifically called the _Balaena mysticetus_, L. From its mouth is
obtained the precious whalebone. An average whale carries nearly a ton
of this material, which at present is worth about $15,000 a ton, with
the price rising from year to year. The principal uses of the whalebone
are to stiffen the bodices of the better-made gowns, and to weave into
expensive silk fabrics. The wealth of the world is increasing and the
supply of whales is decreasing; no idea, therefore, can be formed of the
value of whalebone in the future, as no good substitute has been
discovered. An adult female whale will furnish blubber sufficient for
nearly thirty tons of oil, while a male will supply about twenty tons;
the value of oil also is on the increase, and may be taken at about $100
per ton. Thus, the total value of a large whale varies from $15,000 to
$20,000, but even at that the chase is becoming unprofitable, owing to
the few whales remaining, and to the frequent ‘empty’ voyages made of
late years.
The whaling ‘grounds’ of the eastern side of America are situated in
Davis strait and Baffin bay and in the northern parts of Hudson bay.
The memorable voyage of Baffin, in 1616, first showed the value of the
whale fishery of Davis strait, and as early as 1619 the first Dutch
whaler was fishing in those waters. A few years later they were joined
by British whaling vessels, but their operations were confined to the
waters off the south coast of Greenland for nearly two hundred years,
until the voyages of Ross and Parry disclosed the more valuable waters
of Baffin bay and of the western side of Davis strait.
These discoveries led to a rapid increase of the British whaling fleet,
and vessels were fitted out from the ports of Hull, Dundee, Kirkcaldy,
Peterhead, Fraserburg and Aberdeen.
The introduction of steamships in the early sixties, and the combination
of the whale fishery with the sealing industry of Newfoundland and
eastern Greenland, led to further increases in the fleet, which, in
1868, totalled thirty steam and sailing vessels as follows: Dundee, 13
steam and 1 sailing ship; Peterhead, 4 steam and 8 sailing ships;
Fraserburg, 2 sailing ships; Aberdeen, 1 sailing ship; Hull, 1
steamship. This was the last year in which ships sailed from Hull; since
then the British whaling fleet has been from Scotch ports only. Steam
soon altogether replaced sails, so that in 1877 only the former was
employed. The fleet at that time had been reduced to thirteen vessels,
all sailing from the port of Dundee. No new ships have been built during
the past twenty-five years, and the construction of these strong oak
vessels, sheathed with greenheart or ironbark, is fast becoming a lost
art in these days of steel and iron ships. The Dundee fleet is now
reduced to five, without much prospect of their being replaced by
British-built ships. The future ships of the whaling fleet will probably
be Norwegian-built. Four of the above vessels were, in 1904, whaling in
Baffin bay, the fifth was in Hudson bay.
The American whalers did not attempt Arctic whaling until 1846, and have
since confined their operations to the waters on the west side of Davis
strait (Cumberland gulf and southward) and to those of Hudson strait and
Hudson bay.
The American ships have always been sailing vessels, and the American
methods differ considerably from those of the Scotch whalers, the chief
difference being that their ships are provisioned for two years, and
remain one or two winters in the north on each voyage. Americans were
the first to erect permanent stations in the eastern Arctics.
[Illustration: CREW OF THE AMERICAN WHALER ‘ERA’.]
The attention of the Hudson’s Bay Company was early directed to the
whale fishery of Hudson bay. In 1719 a frigate and sloop, under the
command of Knight, were despatched from Churchill, to explore the
western shores of the bay to the northward and to prosecute the whale
fishery in those waters. The disastrous ending of this venture, the
entire crews dying of scurvy and starvation on Marble island, put a stop
to all projects of the Company as regards whale fishing, until one was
undertaken in recent years, but so little success attended the venture
that it was abandoned after three years’ trial.
Public attention was first called to the whale fishery of Hudson bay by
Dr. Rae, in the publications on his voyages in 1846 and 1854 along the
northwestern coast of the bay in search of traces of the Franklin
expedition.
In 1860 the first American ships visited the northwestern part of Hudson
bay, wintered there, and returned with full cargoes. Their success led
other whalers to the same waters, so that in 1864 there were fourteen
American ships in Hudson bay and Cumberland strait.
Whaling in Hudson bay has since been almost wholly in the hands of the
Americans, and an idea of the value taken by them from those waters may
be obtained from the tabulated statement at the end of this article.
The first British vessel of modern times to visit Hudson bay for whales
was the Newfoundland steamer _Nimrod_, which, according to Hall, was at
Repulse bay in 1867. The Scotch steamer _Arctic_ made two or three
voyages to the bay, the last being in 1897, when she struck a rock in
Hudson strait, and was damaged to such an extent that she subsequently
sunk in Cumberland gulf. The Hudson’s Bay Company’s ship _Perseverance_,
already alluded to, was in Hudson bay from 1894 to 1896, and only took
five small whales. Changing hands, a couple of years later, this ship
was at Cumberland gulf, and sailing from there for Scotland must have
struck an iceberg, as no tidings have since been had of her. This, or
being crushed in the ice or being wrecked by striking sunken rocks upon
these uncharted coasts, is the usual fate of the whaling vessels, and
some such loss, entailing excessive hardships and often death upon the
crews, is almost an annual occurrence in these Arctic waters, so that a
high rate of remuneration is necessary to compensate for the risks.
Since 1898 the Scotch steamer _Active_ has made annual voyages to Hudson
bay, and has established two stations, one on the north side of Hudson
strait and the other first at Southampton island, but later removed to
Repulse bay. Walrus hunting was the first object of this undertaking,
with whaling as a secondary consideration. Success appears to have
crowned this enterprise, as in addition to a few whales, a goodly number
of walrus are taken annually, and the profits of these are enhanced by
the furs obtained from the natives, and by mica from a mine worked on
the north shore of Hudson strait.
Whaling in Hudson bay appears to have reached its height about 1870,
after which the disappearance of the whales from the more accessible
waters led to a diminution of the catch, and many of the American
whaling vessels were transferred to the Arctic whaling waters reached
from the Pacific, which were also discovered and made known by the
British ships in search of the ill-fated Franklin. At present only one
of the American whalers is in Hudson bay, and none of them have visited
Cumberland gulf for some years past; the only connection with the
industry now on that coast is the small and unprofitable station at Cape
Haven, on Cyrus Field bay, owned by a firm in Boston.
The movements of the whales appear to depend largely upon the ice of
these northern waters, and that in turn is modified by the currents and
configuration of the seas, so that a short geographical description is
necessary to a proper understanding of the movements and habits of these
animals.
Davis strait and Baffin bay separate Greenland from the great Arctic
islands of Baffin, Bylot, North Devon and Ellesmere. Their combined
length stretches from the mouth of Hudson strait to the entrance of
Smith sound, or from latitude 60° N. to latitude 78° N., a distance of
1,200 miles. In shape they may be compared to a sack loosely drawn in
about a third of the distance from its mouth, which opens widely to the
southward, where it has a breadth of nearly 500 miles between the
southern part of Greenland and the island of Resolution on the north
side of Hudson strait. Both shores then gradually approach, until in the
neighbourhood of latitude 66° N. the distance across is 200 miles. To
the northward of this the Greenland coast runs nearly due north, while
the western coast trends towards the northwest, and in consequence when
latitude 75° N. is reached Baffin bay is nearly 400 miles wide from the
Greenland coast to the shores of North Devon. Beyond this the Greenland
coast sweeps to the westward, around Melville bay, and after Cape York
is passed turns northwest until Cape Alexander, at the entrance to Smith
sound, is reached. The western coast, in the meanwhile, first runs north
and then northeast to Cape Isabella, which is only twenty-five miles
distant from Cape Alexander on the Greenland coast.
Like all the great northern bays, Baffin bay has a current flowing
northward along the eastern or Greenland coast, and a cold Arctic
current setting southward along the western shores. These currents have
a considerable influence upon the climate of the adjoining land, and the
mean annual temperature at points of corresponding latitude is several
degrees higher on the Greenland side. This difference of climate is
marked along the middle and northern coasts, that of Greenland being
practically free from ice and snow, except where glaciers from the great
central ice-cap flow down into the sea. The fiords and bays are open
early in summer, while the current sweeps northward all the ice
accumulated along the coast during the winter, leaving an open sea,
usually early in July, as far as Melville bay.
A portion of this southern current evidently comes from the North
Atlantic, and the remainder sweeps around the southern end of Greenland,
bringing with it a stream of Arctic ice brought south on the Arctic
current of east Greenland. This stream of ice is soon deflected from the
west coast, and appears to melt in the southeastern part of Davis
strait, as there is a lane of open water separating the southern ice
from that of the west coast.
The distance from Wilcox head to Cape York, across Melville bay, is 180
miles; that from the centre of this line to the head of the bay is
upwards of 100 miles. Much of the shore-line of the bay is still
unexplored, but sufficient is known to state that it is an almost
unbroken line of glaciers, which constantly discharge large icebergs
into the waters of the bay. A large number of rocky islands break its
surface, and the bottom appears to be very uneven, with much shallow
water; in consequence, many of the icebergs are grounded in the
shallower parts of the bay. The islands and grounded bergs break the
winds and waves, and so allow of the formation of heavy sheets of ice
between them during the winter months, while in the summer they act as
anchors for this sheet, or floe ice. As before stated, the southerly
current carries a great part of the shore ice of central Greenland north
to Melville bay, where it acts as an aggravation to the congestion of
ice there, so that it is always late in the season before the bay is
even partly clear of ice, which must pass westward, until being
influenced by the northern current from Smith sound, it is deflected
south and goes to increase the great mass of ice known as the ‘middle
pack,’ which all summer fills the southwestern part of Baffin bay. In
the days of sailing ships the whalers made their way across the bay by
tracking, or sailing along the edge of the solid land-ice, and many a
vessel was lost there. Even with steam-power this is a place of terror
to the whalers, and they never feel safe until they have reached the
‘north water’ at Cape York. As an illustration of the dangers and
difficulties of this crossing, the _Vega_ was crushed and sunk in the
summer of 1903, and the _Balaena_ was at the same time eighty days
tightly jammed in the ice. In 1904 the _Eclipse_ took thirty days to
cross the bay, and the _Diana_ was thirty-five days in crossing. The
_Neptune_, on the 8th of August, crossed in twenty hours, when little
ice was seen until within a few miles of Cape York; and from there to
Cape Alexander, at the entrance to Smith sound, only ‘pan’ or sheet ice
was observed at the heads of the larger bays, all the eastern side of
the northern part of Baffin bay being free of ice. This open ‘north
water’ is caused as follows: The ice to the southward of Cape Alexander
breaks up towards the end of June or early in July, and is soon carried
southward on the southerly current of the west side. Smith sound and its
continuation northward remain tightly frozen until August, when it sends
its heavy ice southward; in consequence there is always a wide interval
of open water between these two streams of ice from the north. The Smith
sound ice continues to pour out in heavy floes, often square miles in
area, until the end of the year, and this stream finally joins the
earlier ice in the western part of Baffin bay, where other streams of
Arctic ice gather from Jones, Lancaster and Ponds inlet sounds. All
these form the great mass of the ‘middle pack,’ which slowly empties on
the northern current, flowing southward along the west side of Davis
strait, blocking the mouths of Cumberland gulf and Frobisher bay in the
late summer, later appearing on the coast of Labrador, and finally
forming the heavy pack upon which the seals are found in March and April
off the shores of Newfoundland.
The whaling grounds of Hudson bay have been confined to the north side
of Hudson strait and to the northwestern part of the bay. The great
island of Southampton lies in the north part of the bay and divides it
into two unequal portions. The eastern or Fox channel is by far the
larger, extending northward from latitude 64° to latitude 70°, and
exceeds 200 miles in width. The western, or Roes Welcome, is much
smaller; its length from Cape Fullerton to the head of Repulse bay is
150 miles, while it rarely exceeds 40 miles across.
In the early days of the Hudson bay fishery, whales were plentiful as
far south as Marble island, and from there northward to Repulse bay. Of
late years few whales have been taken in these southern waters, and the
whalers now confine themselves to the southern shores of Southampton and
the waters of Roes Welcome.
The northern and eastern parts of Fox channel are still unexplored, and
owing to the large masses of ice found there continuously, and to the
numerous shoals and reefs in the known parts, it has never been a
favourite place for whalers, its waters being the only portion of the
bay where the whales have been left undisturbed.
The favourite resort for whales both in Baffin and Hudson bays is along
the edge of the ice still fast to the shore, with an abundance of loose
ice outside. When the shore ice is all melted or loosened they prefer to
remain about the edge of the large masses of floating ice. This habit of
remaining close to the ice-masses appears to be due to two causes—food
and protection. The whale is a very timid animal, and is easily
frightened by anything out of the ordinary; it then either takes to the
protection of the tightly packed ice, or leaves for distant parts. The
food of the whale consists of small crustaceans (called sealice by the
whalers), and swimming pterepods known as ‘whale-food’ and
‘blackberries.’ These creatures in turn feed upon minute animal
organisms, known as diatoms, which are found in countless numbers in
these northern waters, where they are so numerous as to discolour large
areas of the sea, giving it a light-green, or a brownish hue. The
diatoms are known to be propagated in the fresh-water pools upon the
large pans of ice, and it would appear that they thrive best in the
comparatively fresh surface-water in the vicinity of melting ice; this
may be the chief reason for the whales frequenting such localities.
The whales are known to enter Hudson strait early in the spring; they
have been captured around Big island in April and May, and at the
western end of the strait in the latter part of May. They then cross to
the west side of the bay along the edge of the open water, being found
in June and early July along the land-floe on both sides of the southern
part of Roes Welcome. As the Welcome clears of ice they proceed north to
Repulse bay, and, still later, pass through Frozen strait into Fox
channel. Late in the autumn they again pass through Hudson strait going
eastward. By far the greater number of whales taken in Hudson bay have
been killed in the vicinity of Whale point near the southern entrance to
the Welcome.
Some whales are supposed to remain during the winter in the waters of
Hudson bay, as they have been reported by the Eskimos as being seen in
the depth of winter off Mansfield and some of the more southern islands
of the east side of the bay.
The migration of the whales in Davis strait and Baffin bay is fairly
well known. In March they are found along the edge of the land-floe of
Cumberland gulf and Frobisher bay, where they remain until the beginning
of May, when they cross to the Greenland coast, and in June are found on
the ‘middle ground’ to the south of Disko. From there they follow the
shore ice north to Melville bay, and then cross along the southern edge
of the ‘north water’ to the western shores of Baffin bay. Should there
be a good land-floe in Jones and Lancaster sounds, they are found there
late in July and in the beginning of August, but the greater number go
south to the mouth of Ponds inlet, where the principal summer catch is
made. During September and October they are found along the western edge
of the ‘middle pack,’ and the whalers pass southward from Ponds inlet,
making use of a number of good harbours known only to themselves on the
eastern side of Baffin island, and going out only in fine weather.
According to the season they remain on that coast, to the northward of
Cumberland gulf, until the middle or end of October, when they leave for
Scotland. In October the whales again enter Cumberland gulf, and remain
along the edge of the newly-formed land ice until December, when their
position is unknown until their return in the following March. They are
supposed to go in the meantime, to the southward, off the mouth of
Hudson strait and along the northern Atlantic coast of Labrador, but the
weather then is too severe to permit of the use of open whaleboats.
The Greenland whale, commonly called a ‘fish’ by the whalers, is, as all
know, a mammal, warm-blooded, reproducing and suckling its young like
any of the land mammals. Its outward resemblance to a fish is merely a
provision of nature, whereby its shape is adapted to the conditions in
which it lives; that is, for a wholly marine life. Its swimming ‘fins’
when stripped of their covering, are found to correspond to the
fore-limbs of quadrupeds, and although the whale does not possess any
hind-limbs, there are rudiments of such to be found in their place, or
at least the rudiments of the pelvis to which the after limbs were
attached.
In colour the whale is usually black or bluish-black above, and whitish
or piebald below. Sometimes white spots occur on the upper parts, and
the markings frequently vary with the individual. The young are
lighter-coloured, being bluish.
An adult whale varies from forty to sixty feet in length; extra large
ones run to sixty-five feet, and the largest recorded reached eighty
feet in length.
The whalers have different names for differently sized whales. _Suckers_
are the young under a year old; _Shortheads_ is also applied to the
young as long as they continue to be suckled. _Stunts_ are two years
old; _Scull-fish_ have bone less than six feet in length; _Size-fish_
have the bone exceeding that length.
The following are the measurements given by Dr. Robert Goodsir of a
large female whale killed in Ponds bay:—
ft. in.
Length from the fork of the tail, along the abdomen, to tip of
lower jaw 65 0
Girth behind swimming-paws 30 0
Breadth of tail, from tip to tip 24 0
Greatest breadth between lower jaws 10 0
Length of head, measured in a line from articulation of lower jaw 21 0
Length of vulva 1 2
From posterior end of vulva to anus 0 6
From anterior end of vulva to umbilicus 8 0
Mammæe placed opposite the anterior third of vulva and six inches
from tip of it.
Length of sulcus of mammæ 0 3
Breadth of sulcus, on each side of it 0 2
From tuberosity of humerus to point of pectoral fin 8 0
Greatest breadth of fin 3 11
Depth of lip (interior of lower) 4 7
From the inner canthus of eye to extreme angle of fold of mouth 1 5
From inner to outer canthus 0 6
Length of block of laminæ beleen, measuring round the curve of the
gum, after being removed from the head 16 6
Length of longest lamina on each side 10 6
Distance between the laminæ at the gum 0 0⅞
Breadth of pulp cavity of largest lamina 1 0
Average length of pulp when extracted from one side of the largest
laminæ 0 5
Number of laminae on either side, about 360.
Female whales are larger and fatter than the males, so that a female
will have an average of about ten more tons of blubber than an ordinary
male. As will be seen from the above measurements, the head equals about
a third of the length of the body, and the upper jaw, which carries the
baleen or whalebone, is only a few feet shorter. The baleen is in the
form of thin slabs or ‘splits’ set close together in the gum at
right-angles to the length of the jaw-bone. At the base the splits are
from six to twelve inches wide and from a quarter to nearly an inch in
thickness. They taper slowly to their free end, and terminate in long
hairs which extend upwards of six inches beyond the solid bone. Similar
hairs are found along the inside of the bone. There are about 360 of
these splits on each side of the jaw, and they are placed so as to slope
backwards. The longest or ‘size split’ is in the middle of the side of
the jaw, and the others decrease in length in front and behind. It
derives its name from being the split by which the length and weight of
the bone is computed. The longest split recorded measured fourteen feet
in length, but the ordinary length in adult whales is from nine to ten
feet. Bone of that length will average nearly a ton weight to a whale.
Bone six feet and under brings only half the price of longer bone. The
laminæ are usually pale-blue; in the young they are sometimes green and
black; in older whales nearly black, and occasionally striped white and
black.
This bone in the whale’s mouth acts as a swab or sieve to entangle and
collect the small animals upon which it feeds. The lower lip is very
deep, and when closed fits close to the head, the edge forming a bow as
it curves backwards from the front. When feeding, this lip is let down,
so that it projects nearly at right-angles, forming a sort of trough and
conducting the water, as the whale moves through it, to the tangle of
hairs of the exposed bone. When sufficient food has been collected the
lip is closed and the food removed from the baleen by the broad tongue.
A whale when feeding travels at, or near the surface, at a rate varying
from two to four miles an hour. The speed at which a free whale travels
through the water appears to have been greatly exaggerated. When
harpooned, and dragging a whaleboat, the speed rarely exceeds six miles
an hour, and as the mass of the whale greatly exceeds that of the boat
the latter cannot to any great extent retard its speed, especially as
the whale is then exerting its utmost power in its efforts to escape.
[Illustration: BUNDLES OF WHALEBONE ON THE ‘ERA.’]
The body is everywhere covered with a thick skin, which varies from an
inch to an inch and a half in thickness. This thick ‘blackskin’ forms a
luxury in the diet of the Eskimos and whalers. It is eaten boiled, a
small amount of blubber being attached to give it flavour. When cooked
it has the appearance of thick black india-rubber, and is soft and
glutinous, while its flavour approaches that of the clam.
The fat or blubber is found everywhere directly below the skin, and is
thickest towards the tail. It bears a resemblance to very fat pork, and
is from twelve to eighteen inches in thickness. The flesh of the whale
is coarse and tough, and is used largely for dog-food; although often
eaten by the Eskimos, it is only when seal or walrus meat cannot be
obtained.
Whales are gregarious, and when plentiful travel in large bands, but
they are now so rare that a band of three or four is the greatest number
seen together of late years.
There are two methods employed in the chase after whales. The Scotch
whalers of Baffin bay cruise about in small steamers, and depend wholly
upon their own white crew to man their boats. The American whalers and
the stations depend more or less upon the Eskimos to form their boats’
crews.
The Scotch steamers are small, stout vessels, from 300 to 400 tons
register. Those, British-built, are of hardwood throughout, while the
Norwegian ships have hardwood frames and softwood planking. The timbers
and planking in all are very heavy, and the sides are further
strengthened by a sheathing of greenheart or ironbark, both exceedingly
hard, tough woods. This sheathing extends from above the water-line to
near the keel; the planks forming it are from three to six inches thick,
and are capable of resisting great pressure from the ice, as well as
withstanding its cutting action which would soon wear through
unprotected sides. The bows are further strengthened by being backed by
several feet of solid timber, while, outside, thick plates and bands of
iron protect the bow and stem. The sides are also strengthened by a
layer of rock-salt, filled in between the timbers and between the skin
of the ship, and by an inside sheathing fastened to the timber, so that
with the outside sheathing of greenheart, the planking and the
salt-filling, the sides are from eighteen to twenty-four inches thick.
Notwithstanding this great strength, the usual fate of these ships is to
be crushed in the ice.
The ships are three-masted and barque rigged, differing in appearance
from an ordinary wooden barque by the presence of large barrels fitted
to the tops of the fore and main masts, and used for observation
stations when working the ship through ice or when chasing whales. The
small engine and boiler are placed aft, between the main and mizzen
masts, where the strong deck beams can be best spared. The engine works
a two-bladed propeller, which drives the ships at rates varying from
four to seven knots an hour.
The lower hold of the ship is filled with a number of iron tanks that
rise to the level of the middle deck, and which are used to store the
blubber. On leaving home all these tanks are filled with coal, which is
also stowed in every other available space, the usual amount of coal for
the voyage being from 250 to 300 tons. The between-deck space is used
for stowing provisions, and for the quarters of part of the crew.
The officers and crew usually number about fifty persons, sufficient to
man six whaleboats and to leave men on board to work the vessel.
The boats are narrow, and are pointed at both ends. Their length is
about twenty-six feet. They are propelled by five oars, or by sail. When
rowing the steersman uses a long sweep oar, and when sailing a rudder,
so arranged as to be easily unshipped and hung on the side of the boat.
Scotch whaleboats are built of larch, while the American are made of
cedar. Another difference is that the latter are centre-board boats,
while the former have fixed keels.
On the whaling grounds the boats hang ready in davits, three on a side,
with all their whaling gear in place, and ready to be lowered at a
moment’s notice. A man is always on the lookout in the barrel, and when
a whale is sighted the captain takes his place there and directs the
movements of the boats from the ship by signals made with sails and
other signs. He is also in connection with the engine-room, and controls
the ship from that lofty perch.
A whale is usually sighted by the column of spray which it throws up in
breathing, and which often rises twenty feet in the air, accompanied by
a puffing sound. A whale usually spouts or breathes five or six times
when it comes to the surface for that purpose, and so remains up for
several minutes. It then goes down to feed, and remains under the water
for fifteen or twenty minutes, during that time travelling perhaps at
most a mile. If possible, advantage is taken of the wind to approach the
whale, to avoid the noise made in rowing. For that purpose ordinary
metal row-locks are not used, their place being taken by stout pins, to
which the oar is attached by a ‘grummet’ or loop of rope. Both ear and
eye of the whale are very small, but in the water they are very acute,
and any strange noise instantly arouses suspicion. The eye is so placed
that the animal can only see ahead, and care is therefore taken to
approach it from behind.
The Scotch whalers use guns, both for the harpoon and for the bomb, with
which the whale is killed after the harpoon is fast. The harpoon has but
one barb, and is so attached to the shank that when it has entered the
skin and the line begins to pull, it swings at right-angles to the
wound, and cannot be removed without cutting a large hole. The shank is
about two feet long, and is split from the head to butt. In this split
runs a ring to which the line is attached. The butt is a circular disc
the diameter of the bore of the harpoon gun. This gun is mounted on a
stanchion in the bow of the boat, and, working on a swivel, may be
pointed in any direction. It is a muzzle-loader, and its discharge is
insured by a double primer. When the gun is loaded, only the head of the
harpoon and a short length of the stock protrude, sufficient for the
ring with attached line. When it is fired the ring slips back to the
butt and the head is buried deep into the side of the whale.
The harpoon line is generally made of manilla, and has a circumference
of about three inches. It is carefully coiled in tubs between the seats,
each tub holding a line 120 fathoms long. After the whale has been
struck, the line is passed aft and a turn taken around a post in the
stern, from which the line is payed out as required. The bomb gun has a
bore about an inch in diameter, and fires an explosive shell, so
arranged as to explode shortly after coming in contact with the body of
the whale, and thus well inside. This gun is rarely used before the
whale makes its first plunge, and frequently several dives are made
before the boat can get close enough to give this _coup de grâce_.
[Illustration: PREPARING FOR SPRING WHALING.]
As soon as life is extinct, the boats form in line and tow the whale,
tail first, to the ship, where its tail is made fast to the quarter, and
an effort is made to reach a harbour, where the carcass may be stripped
with safety. When this is impossible, the body is brought alongside the
ship and secured by the head and tail. Work is then commenced with
long-handled blubber spades, about six inches wide and very sharp. The
blubber is removed in long strips cut around the body, and when one side
is finished the whale is turned over. The great lips are cut away, and
then, with cheers, the prize in the upper jaw is hoisted on board. The
blubber, as it is taken from the whale, is stored in the empty tanks and
is taken home in this condition. It is not reduced to oil immediately,
as is the practice with the Americans.
The Scotch whalers of Hudson bay differ in their methods from those of
Baffin bay only in the employment of Eskimos to man a part of their
boats, and consequently they do not carry so large a white crew. The
natives employed by the _Active_ belong to the north side of Hudson
strait and come from the vicinity of Big island. Several families of
these Eskimos are taken on board the ship when she arrives in the early
summer, and remain on board until she leaves for home in October. These
natives are employed partly in whaling and walrus hunting, and are very
useful in skinning and preparing the hides of the walrus.
At present there is only one American vessel engaged in whaling on the
eastern side of America, the topsail schooner _Era_ of New Bedford. This
ship entered Hudson bay during the summer of 1903, wintered in the
harbour of Fullerton, and intended to pass the winter of 1904 in the
same harbour, returning home in the following September. As the
_Neptune_ wintered alongside at Fullerton, and as the writer made a trip
lasting two weeks to Southampton island, in June, 1904, in company with
four of the whaleboats belonging to the _Era_, he is personally better
acquainted with the life and methods of the American than with those of
the Scotch whalers.
The _Era_ is over fifty years old, and was originally built for a
coasting packet. When her usefulness in that trade was passed, some
thirty years ago, she was sheathed with about three inches of hardwood,
and further reinforced with iron plate in the bow. Little expenditure
seems to have since been made by the owners. The ship is now very leaky,
and in such a condition that she could not get a British rating. During
the winter, when tightly frozen in, the pumps were going daily, and when
at sea they are almost constantly going to keep the vessel afloat, while
the forecastle, the home of a crew of twelve men, has several inches of
water on the floor, and every bunk is soaking wet. This forecastle is
very small, and when the small stove and table are set up, the men have
to crawl over one another to get to their small double-decked bunks. The
air is exceedingly bad, and these quarters probably account, in part,
for the scurvy prevalent amongst the crew. The food is as antiquated as
the accommodation, and is confined to the staples, barrelled pork and
beef with biscuit left over from the Spanish-American war, and returned
from Cuba more or less alive; to these are added coffee and molasses of
the cheapest kind, and a small quantity of tinned meats, preserved
potatoes and dried apples, none in quantities sufficient for anything
approaching a daily ration; no antiscorbutics, such as lime-juice, are
carried. These antiquated rations are supplemented by fresh meat of the
deer, seal and walrus obtained from the natives, but during the winter
this supply is often very inadequate.
The officers and crew numbered twenty on leaving New Bedford. They
consist of the captain, two mates, three boat-steerers, cook, steward
and twelve seamen. None of the officers hold certificates, and as far as
their qualifications to navigate the ship are concerned, have passed no
official test.
The officers and boat-steerers are ‘old hands,’ having made previous
voyages, either to Hudson bay or to the western whaling. The crew are
all landsmen without any knowledge of the sea, and are obtained for the
voyage through the agency of crimps. Some were signed on under false
statements and others put on board while drunk. In some cases the ship’s
articles were signed after the vessel was at sea, and the majority of
the men when they signed had not had the articles read to them. Advances
made by the crimps at extravagant rates are paid by the owners without
the knowledge or consent of the crew as soon as the vessel leaves port.
No wages are paid, all being on shares; and the share of the crew is so
small and the advance account and articles supplied from the
‘slop-chest’ so great that it is the usual thing for each man to find
himself in debt to the owners on his return from no matter how
successful a voyage. None of these practices are allowed on board the
British vessel, and the crew are not only paid monthly wages, but
participate in the profits of the voyage.
The _Era’s_ crew was composed of a gunsmith, a clerk in a wholesale drug
business, an iron moulder, a mechanic, an ex-soldier, a railway
brakesman, an Armenian and several nondescripts ‘about town.’ Of the
entire lot only one had ever been to sea before.
The treatment of the crew by the officers was as good as circumstances
permitted, and was in strong contrast to their general treatment by the
owners.
The methods of the American whalers differ considerably from those
already described. When the ship arrives in the northwestern part of the
bay, the Aivillik Eskimos are looked for somewhere in the vicinity of
Whale point, and enough men, practically half of the tribe, are engaged
for the time the ship remains in the bay. The ship’s crew are sufficient
to man three whaleboats, and three others are manned by the natives.
Four boats are brought on the ship every voyage, and only two are taken
home, the other two, equipped for whaling, being left with the natives,
and any whales caught during the ship’s absence are supposed to belong
to the ship furnishing the boats.
The natives and their families and dogs are taken on board the schooner
and conveyed to the harbour where it is proposed to spend the winter.
About seventy persons of this tribe were at Fullerton during the winter
of 1903-04, and twice a day received a meal of biscuit and coffee on the
ship. These people were fed in the cabin after the officers, and two or
three extra tables were required to accommodate all, so that the meal
continued for nearly two hours, and the atmosphere of the cabin was
anything but sweet. No regular wages are paid to the natives either
during the winter when hunting, or when in the boats in the summer, but
they are given such articles as the captain thinks they should have or
deserve, everything being left to his judgment or caprice. On the whole
they are fairly well treated, and although they only get a very small
percentage of their catch, still the presence of the whaler ensures them
from starvation, and provides them with boats, guns and ammunition, all
of which would otherwise be difficult or impossible to obtain.
While with the ship the entire hunt of the natives is supposed to belong
to the ship, and no definite payment is made for whales or fur taken
during that period.
During past years a goodly number of boats have been left to the natives
by the American whalers, and at the present time the Eskimos scattered
from Chesterfield inlet to Repulse bay must have upwards of twenty
serviceable boats. The Aivilliks have for so long become possessed of
boats in this manner, that they have lost the art of building kyaks, and
none of the younger men know anything about handling these craft.
Very little use is made of the ship in the catching of whales, and it
usually only serves as a convenient base of supply, or as a means of
transport from one locality to another.
[Illustration: WHALEBOATS ON THE ICE, IN ROES WELCOME.]
As the crews live during the greater part of the open season in the
boats, these are fitted with cotton covers supported on hoops, and are
thus completely roofed in, affording very comfortable if somewhat
cramped quarters. Cooking is done with oil stoves, and sleeping is
arranged for by placing wide boards across the intervals between seats.
The boats leave the ship early in May, long before the ice along the
coast begins to break up, and they cruise up and down along the edge of
the solid land-floe looking for whales. During stormy weather, and at
night, the boats are drawn out on the smooth ice, props are placed on
each side to keep them upright, and the cover being drawn on and snugly
secured, afford secure and comfortable quarters, provided that the
temperature does not drop too low; in that case, resort is made to the
deerskin sleeping bags for greater warmth.
The west coast of the bay is patrolled in this manner until about the
middle of June, the cruise extending from Chesterfield inlet to Whale
point, supplies being renewed every week or so. Each of the ship’s boats
is in charge of an officer, who always attends to the steering. The
‘boat-steerers’ are in reality the harpooners, and have nothing to do
with the steering of the boat.
Towards the end of June the boats cross through the floating ice to
Southampton island, where they remain until compelled to return for
fresh supplies, usually about three weeks. A second trip to that island
is sometimes made, and in August the ship, now free from the ice, is
taken to Repulse bay or the Frozen strait connecting it with Fox
channel. The ship is again left in harbour under the charge of the cook
and steward, and the boats cruise about until the beginning of
September, when the ship is taken to winter quarters or sails for home.
If the intention is to remain all winter, the harbour is reached before
the middle of the month.
This is the routine, and it is only varied by the capture of a whale. As
will be seen from the above description, the boats cruise nearly all the
time in the in-shore waters, and the greater number of whales are taken
within the three-mile limit, and not on the high seas as is the rule in
Baffin bay. If the whale is killed within reasonable distance of the
ship, it is either towed alongside by the boats, or the ship comes for
it, and an endeavour is made to get the body into a safe harbour in
order to save the blubber. A number of whales are killed in inconvenient
places, and only the bone is then taken, all the blubber going to waste.
When the blubber is taken, it is immediately cut up and ‘tried out’ into
oil on board the ship, a large boiler being carried for that purpose.
The hold of the schooner is filled with large casks, made in different
sizes to fit the shape of the hold. On the outward voyage these are
partly filled with the provisions; returning, they carry the oil and
furs collected on the voyage.
During the long winter a part of the natives remain at the ship, and are
employed hunting seals, walrus, and deer to help feed the women and
children and the crew of the ship. The remainder are sent away after
musk-ox, and remain away several months, having to go a long distance
before reaching the country where those animals are found. A successful
party will return with at least twenty musk-ox skins, and these add to
the profits of the voyage. Stranger Eskimos also visit the ship to
trade, and in this manner a considerable number of musk-ox, fox, wolf,
bear and wolverine skins are added.
Unlike the Scotch whalers, where the captain remains on board ship to
direct the movements of the boats from the barrel, the American captain
goes in charge of one of the boats. This works well in open water, but
when the whale is among loose ice very little can be seen from the
boats.
The Americans make use of a hand harpoon, and as it is very heavy and
has a gun attached to it, the boat must approach within a few feet of
the whale before it can be thrown with any certainty of success;
otherwise the manner of capture is similar to that already described.
[Illustration: SCOTTISH WHALING STATION AT BLACKLEAD ISLAND.]
Station whaling, which is very similar to that practised by the American
ships, is carried on both in Baffin bay and Hudson bay. The stations are
either permanent establishments on land, or are small ships that remain
constantly in the country, and serve only as a convenient dwelling for
the small number of whites with each.
At the present time land stations are operated at Kekerten and
Blacklead, in Cumberland gulf and at Cape Haven, all on the east side of
Davis strait. At the mouth of Ponds inlet in Baffin bay a small ketch is
stationed; in Repulse bay a similar vessel is used as a whaling station.
With the exception of Cape Haven these are owned in Scotland, the Cape
Haven station belonging to a firm in Boston, U.S.
Only one or two white men are employed at each, and the whaling is
altogether in the hands of the natives.
None of these stations are making great profits, and some of them are
being maintained at a loss. They are of great assistance to the natives,
and it is to be hoped that nothing will be done to discourage the
owners, who according to present returns should be helped rather than
hindered in their work.
The natives have for years looked for assistance to the whalers both on
Baffin island and Hudson bay. They have quite given up the use of their
primitive weapons, and there is no doubt that a withdrawal of the
whalers would lead to great hardship and many deaths among these people
if the Government did not in some manner take their place and supply the
Eskimos with the necessary guns and ammunition.
The influence of the whalers upon the natives does not appear to have
been as bad as in the western part of the Arctics. The excessive use of
alcohol has never been practised, and has now been totally stopped.
Disease due to sexual intercourse has been introduced and has, no doubt,
led to many deaths. Other diseases introduced have carried away numbers
of these people. It is doubtful if the morals of the Eskimo, which are
of a different standard from those of Europeans, have deteriorated
through sexual intercourse with the sailors.
The future of the whaling industry appears to be very gloomy. The annual
catch is decreasing regularly, and only the high price of whalebone
makes it at all profitable. No certainty of a single whale can be had,
and the enterprise is reduced to almost a gambling chance. During the
past season the following returns were collected from the various ships
and stations visited:—
_Era._—One small whale taken at Southampton up to the 20th July. To
this must be added the bone of a large and small whale taken by natives
before the _Era’s_ arrival in 1903.
_Balaena._—One medium whale, three-quarters of a ton of whalebone, to
23rd August.
_Diana._—Three whales, two and a quarter tons of whalebone to 23rd
August.
_Eclipse._—Two whales, one and a half tons of whalebone, to 23rd
August.
_Windward._—One whale, three-quarters of a ton of whalebone, to 23rd
August.
Ponds inlet station.—Two small whales, a quarter of a ton of short
whalebone, to 23rd August.
Kekerten station.—No whales to 1st September.
Blacklead station.—No whales to 1st September.
Cape Haven station.—No whales to 1st September.
_Active._—One whale, 1,300 pounds bone.
Repulse bay station.—One small whale, 500 pounds bone.
Several other species of the larger whales are known to frequent the
southern and eastern waters of Davis strait and Baffin bay, but do not
go into the densely ice-covered seas of the western side, nor are they
found in Hudson strait or bay.
None of these whales possess the precious whalebone. They are also of
comparatively little value for oil, and only when hunted by steamers in
conjunction with shore factories, where all the products can be turned
to profitable account, as is done in Norway and Newfoundland, can the
chase for them be profitable. Such ships and stations will require to be
operated from the Greenland coast.
The following species of whales are the most common and important:—
_Physalus antiquorum_, Flem.—Big Finner, is found in Davis strait,
chiefly on the cod-banks, where it devours immense numbers of fish. For
its size it gives a remarkably small quantity of oil. On this account it
is not killed by the whalers, and seldom by the natives.
_Balaenoptera sibbaldii._ Gray.—This whale is usually confounded with
the one last mentioned; has the same range and habits, and is rarely
killed by the natives.
_Balaenoptera rostrata_, Fab.—The Little Finner has the same range as
the above, being well known to the Eskimos of Greenland and unknown to
those of Baffin island.
_Megaptera longimana_, Gray.—The Humpback, appears on the Greenland
coast in summer. Its whalebone is very short and of a poor quality, so
that its price in no way compares with that of the Right whale. The
blubber also is poor and makes little oil in comparison to its size.
_Orca gladiator_, Sund.—The Killer (Grampus, or Swordfish), is very
voracious, and lives largely upon fish, seals, porpoises and white
whales. It also attacks large Right whales, and on this account is
disliked by the whalers, as the presence of a single Killer means the
immediate flight of all creatures in that vicinity. Luckily it will not
penetrate among the heavy floes, where the Right whales retreat for
safety. Some idea of the destruction to life caused by the Killer may be
formed from the fact that in the stomach of one were found fourteen
porpoises and fourteen large seals; it choked to death swallowing the
fifteenth. They chase seals and White whales on shore, and the seals are
often seen jumping clear out of water in their endeavour to escape.
PORPOISES.
_Phocaena communis_, Brookes.—The porpoise arrives on the Greenland
coast early in the spring, but does not go north of latitude 69° N., nor
does it frequent the ice-laden seas of Baffin bay; it is unknown in
Hudson strait and bay.
_Beluga catadon_, Gray.—The White whale or White porpoise (Kellulauak,
Eskimo) is common to all the Arctic coasts, and remains throughout the
year. It usually travels in large schools, frequenting the bays and
mouths of rivers. In the north large numbers have been taken by the
whalers along the coast of North Somerset, both in Prince Regent inlet
and in Barrow strait. It is plentiful in the rivers at the heads of
Cumberland gulf and Frobisher bay. Many are killed annually by the
natives along the south shore of Hudson strait. The Hudson’s Bay Company
has for several years past made successful fisheries in the mouth of the
Koksoak river and in Leaf bay, both in the southwest part of Ungava bay.
Similar fisheries were formerly conducted in the mouths of Great and
Little Whale rivers on the east side of Hudson bay, but after some
success the whales would not enter these rivers over the nets, and the
fisheries were abandoned. The writer has seen great numbers of White
whales in the mouths of the rivers to the northward of Little Whale
river, notably so in that of the Nastapoka. The Eskimos depend upon the
White whale for part of their food and lamp oil. The meat is coarse and
dark, being, like that of the seals, highly charged with blood and
having a fishy flavour. The boiled skin is a native dainty, and is in
the same class as beaver-tail or moose nose, soft and gelatinous. There
is little doubt that, with the opening of Hudson bay, the White whale
fishery will become an important industry in many places in the bay and
strait, and also along the coast to the northward.
_Monodon monoceras_, Linn.—The Narwhal has habits very similar to those
of the White whale. It generally travels in bands, and appears to prefer
the proximity of ice, so that its summer range is more northern than
that of the White whale. The Baffin bay whalers obtain a considerable
number of narwhal horns from the natives of north Greenland, the best
place being in the vicinity of Cape York, or to the eastward of Melville
bay.
The narwhal appears to replace the White whale in the waters of Ponds
inlet, only the former being killed there. Numbers are taken in the ice
by the whalers of Baffin bay; they are not uncommon about Cumberland
gulf when the ice still covers its waters. The natives of Hudson strait
kill numbers of these animals in the early summer, and after the
shore-ice has formed in the early winter, but none are seen on the south
shore during the open waters of summer. The narwhal is only found in the
northern waters of Hudson bay, where it is abundant in the ice-laden
waters of Fox channel and Frozen strait.
The narwhal is distinguished in the water from the White whale by its
darker colour, its white spots and its horn. The colour becomes lighter
with age, so that very old individuals become dirty white. According to
the Eskimos, the horn is confined to the males, and its chief use is for
domestic battle. Only one horn is usually developed, growing out of the
upper jaw, and projecting directly forward. A second horn on the other
side of the jaw is not uncommon, but it is always shorter, and is often
malformed or rudimentary. The horns vary in length up to eight feet, and
are composed of a very fine quality of ivory. At the base the average
thickness is from two to three inches; it tapers gradually to a point,
having a spiral twist throughout the length. There is a large pith core
at the base, which gradually fills after the horn has reached maturity,
so that in old animals the horn is almost completely solid. This ivory
is much more valuable than that obtained from the tusks of the walrus,
being worth from $2.50 to $3 a pound. The ultimate destination of the
ivory is China, where it is used for ornamental purposes as well as for
medicine, and for the manufacture of cups supposed to absorb all poisons
placed in them.
The flesh and skin of the narwhal are put to the same uses by the
Eskimos as those of the White whale.
TABULATED STATEMENT of information concerning the Whale Fishery in Baffin
bay and in Hudson bay.
BRITISH WHALING FLEET.*
━━━━━┯━━━━━━━━┯━━━━━┯━━━━━━━┯━━━━━┯━━━━━
Year.│Steamer.│Sail.│Whales.│Oil. │Bone.
─────┼────────┼─────┼───────┼─────┼─────
│ │ │ │Tons.│ Cwt.
1865 │ 11│ 12│ 66│ 742│ 710
1866 │ 15│ 11│ 81│ 848│ 933
1867 │ 17│ 11│ 24│ 228│ 60
1868 │ 18│ 12│ 134│1,228│1,164
1869 │ 16│ 10│ 22│ 266│ 207
1870 │ 14│ 8│ 79│ 962│1,111
1871 │ 15│ 6│ 152│1,348│1,544
1872 │ 17│ 5│ 138│1,393│1,486
1873 │ 18│ 4│ 172│1,426│1,475
1874 │ 16│ 3│ 190│1,662│1,680
1875 │ 18│ 2│ 98│ 975│ 970
1876 │ 17│ 3│ 82│1,115│1,132
1877 │ 13│ ....│ 81│ 955│ 850
1881 │ 11│ ....│ 48│ 514│ 495
1882 │ 9│ ....│ 79│ 670│ 560
1883 │ 6│ ....│ 17│ 524│ 190
1884 │ 9│ ....│ 79│ 755│ 780
1885 │ 12│ ....│ 28│ 359│ 200
1886 │ 8│ ....│ 15│ 375│ 240
1887 │ 8│ ....│ ..│ 496│ 140
1888 │ 7│ ....│ 6│ 308│ 43
1889 │ 3│ ....│ 8│ 125│ 110
1890 │ 5│ ....│ 11│ 403│ 265
1891 │ 5│ ....│ 6│ 167│ 70
1892 │ 5│ ....│ 7│ 228│ 78
1893 │ 4│ ....│ 30│ 391│ 410
1894 │ 5│ ....│ 15│ 218│ 250
1895 │ 5│ ....│ 3│ 233│ 36
1896 │ 3│ ....│ 3│ 60│ 15
1897 │ 3│ ....│ 8│ 102│ 110
1898 │ 4│ ....│ 8│ 235│ 100
1899 │ 7│ ....│ 26│ 419│ 330
1900 │ 7│ ....│ 17│ 290│ 230
1901 │ 6│ ....│ 15│ 260│ 164
1902 │ 6│ ....│ 13│ 212│ 187
1903 │ 6│ ....│ 14│ 145│ 175
1904 │ 6│ ....│ 11│ 110│ 107
-----
* The returns from 1865 to 1877, inclusive, are from the Report of the
U. S. Consul at Dundee, 1877. The returns from 1881 to 1904 have been
furnished by Captain W. F. Milne, of the British whaler _Eclipse_.
AMERICAN WHALING FLEET.
1846-52—One ship yearly to Cumberland gulf. 350 tons oil and 2·5 tons
bone.
1853-58—Fiveships””750”5·75”
1860—First two ships to winter in Hudson bay. Value of catch $60,000.
1863—Fourteen ships in Hudson bay and Cumberland gulf.
1864—Fifteen ships in Hudson bay.
1865—Two ships in Repulse bay. Killed 8 whales.
1866—Four ships wintered in Repulse bay. Little success.
HUDSON BAY.
1889—One ship.
1890—
1891—One ship, 4 whales, 4,400 lbs. bone.
1892—One ship, 2 ” 1,600 ”
1893—Two ships, 8 ” 18,500 ”
1894—One ship, 8 ” 4,500 ”
1895—Three ships, 6 ” 10,300 ”
1896—Two ships, 4 ” 4,100 ”
1897—Three ships, 19 ” 20,175 ”
1898—
1899—One ship, 6 whales, 6,000 lbs. bone.
1900—One ship, 8 ” 7,500 ”
1901—One ship. Burnt.
1902—
1903—Two ships, 2 whales, 1,800 lbs. bone.
1904—One ship, 1 ” 500 ”
The information to 1866 has been taken from the narrative of C. F.
Hall’s second Arctic expedition. That from 1889 to 1904 has been
furnished by Captain George Comer, American whaler _Era_.
Eight American whaling ships have, to the knowledge of Captain Comer,
been lost in Hudson Bay.
SEALS.
There exists at present considerable confusion in the number of species
and the classification of the northern seals. A scientific argument on
classification is beyond the province of this report, and it need only
be mentioned that, after careful inquiry from the Eskimos of Baffin
island and Hudson bay, there is no doubt that, including the walrus,
there are but six species of seals in the northern seas of eastern
America, and that the other species named are simply due to varieties of
age, size and colour.
The present account is confined to the distribution, habits and uses of
these animals.
_Callocephalus vitulinus_, Linn.—The Harbour seal, Freshwater seal, or
Ranger (Kassigiak, Eskimo), is common but not plentiful on all the
coasts. It is found usually about the mouths of rivers, and in bays and
fiords. It is also found in some of the larger lakes of Labrador and
Baffin island. These lakes are often far inland and high above the
present level of the sea, and there is no doubt that in a number of them
the seals reside permanently. The young, unlike those of the other
seals, are produced in July on the rocks about the banks of rivers.
The skins are prized by the natives owing to their fur-like character
and beauty of colour. They are dressed with the hair on, and are chiefly
used for women’s garments, fancy bags and for the boot-legs of dandies.
The flesh and blubber, especially of the older and larger freshwater
seals, have a disagreeable odour and taste, and consequently are not so
highly prized by the natives as are those of the following species.
_Pagomys foetidus_, Fab.—The Ringed seal, or Jar (Nietshik, Eskimo), is
the common small seal of all the coasts.
The variations in size, markings and colour, due to age, have led to
this seal being classed under several species.
Its flesh is the chief article of diet of the natives the year round,
while its skin when dressed with the hair is used for clothing, tentings
and bags; when dressed by removing the hair, it is used as covering for
the kyak and for boot-legs. The blubber, burned in stone lamps, is the
chief source of artificial heat.
The young are born in March in snow-houses scraped out by the female
from a snow-bank, close to an air-hole on the ice. When born they have a
glistening white coat of soft hair.
_Pagophilus groenlandicus_, Mull.—The Harp seal, Saddle-back,
Bedlamiers, (Kirolik, Eskimo,) supplies fully two-thirds of the seals
taken annually off the coasts of Newfoundland in the spring, when the
females give birth to their young on the floating ice of the Arctic
pack. The Harp seal is more or less common on the northern coasts, and
southward along the Atlantic coast of Labrador, at all seasons. In
Hudson strait they are rare in summer, but are not uncommon after the
shore-ice forms in the autumn, and before it leaves in the early summer.
These seals commonly travel in bands, and are known by their habit of
frequently leaping from the water. They are rare in Hudson bay,
especially during the summer season, and are only occasionally seen at
other times.
The flesh and blubber are used by the natives for food and fuel. The
skins are used mostly for tentings and boot-legs, and where the skin of
the Ground seal is not available for boot-bottoms.
_Phoco barbata,_ Fab.—The Bearded seal, Big seal, Ground seal,
Square-flipper, (Oujuk, Eskimo,) is common on all the coasts, and is the
most abundant seal at Cape Haven, and Cape Chidley on the eastern coast.
It brings forth its young, which are born near an opening in the
shore-ice, about a month later than the Ringed seal. This seal is next
in size to the walrus, and its capture always brings gladness to the
Eskimos, providing, as it does, a large amount of meat and blubber,
while from its hide is cut an exceedingly strong line used for
dog-traces and other purposes. The dressed skin is used for the soles of
boots, for covering kyaks and women’s boats, for tentings, and many
other purposes. The flesh is coarser in texture, but less fishy in
flavour, than that of the smaller seals. The liver is said to be
somewhat poisonous, and is not often eaten.
_Cystophera cristata_, Erxl.—-The Hooded seal, or Bladder-nose,
(Nietshivok, Eskimo,) is a large and ferocious seal, second in size only
to the Big seal. It produces its young about two weeks later than the
Harps, and usually on ice farther off the coast. These seals make up the
remainder of the catch of the Newfoundland sealers. In the summer they
are common at Ponds inlet, and become rarer along the coasts to the
southward. The Hooded seal is unknown to the natives of Hudson bay, and
is an exceedingly rare visitor in Hudson strait.
_Trichechus rosmarus_, Linn.—The walrus, (Aivik, Eskimo,) is found in
all the northern waters, where it appears to prefer the presence of
floating ice, and rarely or never comes out on the shore-ice. During the
past voyage of the _Neptune_ many walrus were seen; the most northern
locality was at the entrance to Smith sound, where large numbers were
congregated on pans of floating ice, between Etah and Cape Sabine.
Numbers were seen along the coast of Ellesmere island and in the waters
of Lancaster sound. The whalers and natives report them as very
plentiful in Wellington channel. They are common along the coast of
Baffin island, a considerable number being killed annually at the
station at Cape Haven, and in Cumberland gulf. They are very numerous in
Fox channel and Frozen strait, where they are captured while on the
floating ice usually found in these localities throughout the summer.
When the ice leaves Hudson bay and Hudson strait, the walrus resort to
favourite localities, usually small rocky islands, where they are
frequently found in large numbers. Such islands are located in King
sound, near Douglas harbour, on the south side of the strait; at the
west end of Charles island, also in the strait; at Walrus island in
Fisher strait, and at several small islands of the Belcher and other
outer islands of the east coast of Hudson bay.
When the St. Lawrence was discovered the walrus was found as far south
as the Magdalen islands, and, within a comparatively recent time, they
were common on the Atlantic coast of Labrador; now they are only killed
rarely at Cape Chidley, the northern point of that coast. On Hudson bay
they were formerly found as far south as Paint islands on the east side
of James bay, but now they do not frequent that coast south of latitude
60° N., and their southern limit is about latitude 57° N., on the
Belcher islands. There has been a rapid diminution in the number of
walrus in the northern part of the bay during the past few years, since
the _Active_ has been engaged in their capture, and it is only a
question of a few years, if the present methods of killing are
continued, before the walrus will become as rare as the Right whale in
the waters of Hudson bay. It is acknowledged that, with present methods
of capture and the difficulties of the chase, only one in four or five
of the animals killed is eventually secured. The walrus is necessary for
the subsistence of the northern Eskimo and his dogs. The flesh is strong
and sustaining, the blubber is abundant and good, while the tusks are of
great use for shoeing sleds and the manufacture of spears and harpoons,
and other hunting and domestic gear. The present value of the walrus to
civilization is small. Oil is made from the blubber, and the skins are
used chiefly for ‘buffing’ metal goods. The ivory of the tusks is
inferior, and only worth about fifty cents a pound. The present price
for hides is from eight to ten cents a pound, and consequently the
entire products of a large walrus is under fifty dollars in value.
Taking into consideration the value of the animal to the native, the
great waste of life in the killing, and the comparative small value to
civilization, it might be well to pass regulations reserving this animal
wholly for the use of the Eskimos.
[Illustration: THE LAUNCH.]