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M A M M A L S OF N O R T H E R N C A N A D A 229
H A R B O U R SEAL— P l i o c a vitulina Linnaeus.
This is probably the most generally distributed and
abundant of all the northern species of hair seals. I believe
it is also the most numerous in the coast seas of Arctic
America. The Anderson and Mackenzie River Eskimos
k i l l a great many annually. It is a very valuable and useful
animal for them: its skin is necessary for making boots and
hunting canoes and other purposes. Its dark and rather
unsightly flesh and extracted oil are among the chief and
most esteemed articles i n their yearly diet; the latter is also
used i n their stone lamps for light, beat, and cooking their
food. We noticed some seals on the ice, basking i n the sun,
on each one of our four summer trips ( 1863 to 1865) to
F r a n k l i n Bay. Tbe Eskimos with us killed a few with
their bows and arrows. Our Indian assistants did uot seem
to relish the rather disagreeable- looking flesh, but the Eskimos
partook thereof with avidity. Doctor Armstrong, of the
Investigator, observed many and secured several examples
of this species i n the sea waters of B a r i n g Land. It. lias also
been met with by other Arctic explorers. Sir Leopold Mc-
Clintock's party secured 17 examples of tbe smaller seals
at Port Kennedy. During their eight months' drift i n the
pack ice, they killed 73 seals, 2 polar bears, 38 dovekies, and
tbe blue fox already referred to. On March 2, 1858, they
shot 4 fat seals and several dovekies; the largest seal weighed
170 pounds and the smallest 150 pounds. They were males
of the species P. hispida. Tbe flesh of this species is very
disagreeable, a garlic- like taint so strongly permeating the
whole animal that even Eskimos are nearly overpowered
thereby, but the females are at all times free from fetor. A
week later two more seals were captured. The flesh being
free from taint, the Eskimos had fried liver and steaks for
breakfast, the latter preferred. They bad been washed in
two or three waters to get r i d of the blubber. The flesh was
very dark and very tender.
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| Title | Page 253 |
| OCR | M A M M A L S OF N O R T H E R N C A N A D A 229 H A R B O U R SEAL— P l i o c a vitulina Linnaeus. This is probably the most generally distributed and abundant of all the northern species of hair seals. I believe it is also the most numerous in the coast seas of Arctic America. The Anderson and Mackenzie River Eskimos k i l l a great many annually. It is a very valuable and useful animal for them: its skin is necessary for making boots and hunting canoes and other purposes. Its dark and rather unsightly flesh and extracted oil are among the chief and most esteemed articles i n their yearly diet; the latter is also used i n their stone lamps for light, beat, and cooking their food. We noticed some seals on the ice, basking i n the sun, on each one of our four summer trips ( 1863 to 1865) to F r a n k l i n Bay. Tbe Eskimos with us killed a few with their bows and arrows. Our Indian assistants did uot seem to relish the rather disagreeable- looking flesh, but the Eskimos partook thereof with avidity. Doctor Armstrong, of the Investigator, observed many and secured several examples of this species i n the sea waters of B a r i n g Land. It. lias also been met with by other Arctic explorers. Sir Leopold Mc- Clintock's party secured 17 examples of tbe smaller seals at Port Kennedy. During their eight months' drift i n the pack ice, they killed 73 seals, 2 polar bears, 38 dovekies, and tbe blue fox already referred to. On March 2, 1858, they shot 4 fat seals and several dovekies; the largest seal weighed 170 pounds and the smallest 150 pounds. They were males of the species P. hispida. Tbe flesh of this species is very disagreeable, a garlic- like taint so strongly permeating the whole animal that even Eskimos are nearly overpowered thereby, but the females are at all times free from fetor. A week later two more seals were captured. The flesh being free from taint, the Eskimos had fried liver and steaks for breakfast, the latter preferred. They bad been washed in two or three waters to get r i d of the blubber. The flesh was very dark and very tender. |
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