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New Zealand Seals And Sealeries.

Assistant-surgeon Thompson, addressing Under-secretary Cook, March 1, 1804, writes:—Besides the oil fisheries, the coast abounds in seals. This trade also brings up and employs young men fit for the sea service. These amphibious animals come on shore in immense numbers to feed, and bring forth and nurse their young, in the islands to the southward. They are valuable on account of their fur skins and oil. Four small vessels have been employed by people of the colony (N.S.W.) in the trade for four or five years, and several thousands of skins have been sent in freight in ships for China, but the immense number of fur skins imported into that empire by the English and Americans, from the north-west coast of America, and transmitted overland by the Russians from Siberia, had so glutted the China markets that the fine sea fur, only sold from 4s to 5s 6d per skin; a price: which, by no means, repaid the N.S.W. adventurer for his industry and perseverance. A better market presents itself in England. This fur is now generally used in making the felt, from which hats are manufactured, and from that circumstance, the price of seal fur skins in England sell from 6s. to 14s. per skin. This was but lately known in N.S.W., and an industrious man, who had been a convict, sent Home last year 2000 sealskins, and eight tuns of elephant oil, as an experiment. This oil is procured from a large amphibious animal, which they call the seal elephant, which only comes on shore on an island in Bass Straits, named Kings Island; yielding each nearly half a tun of oil. This oil sells in England from £35 to £42 per tun. The seal oil bears the same price.

July 22, 1804.—An M.S.S. report made to Governor King represents the annexed as a correct list of the number of sealskins, and quantities of seal oil brought to Svdney by vessels belonging to Kable and Underwood:—Schooner Endeavour, from March 9, 1803, to May 28, 1804, 9514 sealskins and 220gals. seal oil. Sloop Surprise, from March 11, to September 15, 1803, 15,480 sealskins and 610gals. elephant oil. Schooner Governor King, from August, 1803 to January, 1804, 3288 sealskins and 160 tuns and 186gals. elephant oil; making a total of 28,282 sealskins, and 163 tuns, and 40gals. of elephant, and 220gals of seal oil, by this one firm.

February 10, 1805.—Sydney Shipping Register reports:—-Arrived late last night, Contest, Johnson, master, with 5000 sealskins, from New Zealand.

March 12, 1809, Sydney Gazette reports:—Yesterday, arrived from the southward, General Bligh, colonial vessel, Garon master, with upwards of 10,000 fur sealskins. The 31st January she fell in with the Fox at sea, with about the same quantity. The Fox had lost her anchors, and was short of water, which latter want Captain Garon relieved as far as in his power. He passed through a newly-discovered strait, which cuts off the South Cape from N.Z., where about the middle of February, he fell in with the Pegasus, Captain Bunker, who had been pretty successful, and from whom he learned he had spoken the Antipod schooner, nine or ten weeks before; she being then very short of provisions, and upon his return to the seal islands to bring off his gangs.

March 19, 1809.—Arrived, the Pegasus, Bunker master, belonging to this (Sydney) port, with about 12,000 skins. In Foveaux Straits she fell in with a schooner from England, also on a sealing voyage, commanded by Captain Keith, out eigh months. Same day, arrived the brig Fox, Cox master, with between 13,000 and 14,000 skins. Under the same date, the Otter, arrived from England. At the Bay of Islands she fell in with the Santa Anna, Moody master, page 117which vessel designed going to England almost immediately with 20,000 sealskins, which he expected to increase to 30,000, from the supply of her gang on the Bounties.

August 27, 1809.—On Friday, returned from, a sealing voyage, after an absence of ten weeks, the schooner Endeavour, belonging to Kable and Underwood, without any success, owing to the unaccountable loss of a boat and six men, on the coast of N.Z., which had been despatched in quest of the best station for her sealing gangs.—Shipping Record.

October 29, 1809.—Yesterday several sealers that sailed in Unity, colonial vessel, belonging to Bean and Webb, Hawkesbury, came in overland from Botany Bay, with intelligence of the vessels arrival there, with a cargo of about 6000 N.Z. skins.

January 21, 1811.—Sydney Gazette learns that fur skins, have experienced a considerable fall in price; the average in England being 3s. to 8s. per skin. Arrived from N.Z., the schooner Governor Bligh, with 10,000 skins.

An M.S. in the colonial office, written by Mr Busby, afterwards appointed British resident, says:—"From the ferocious character of the natives, the Colonial (N.S.W.) Government, before permitting private individuals to embark in the skin and oil trade of N.Z., judged it advisable to despatch several of their own vessels, in the years 1822 and 1825, for the purpose of opening communication with the tribes along the coast, and generally, to sound their disposition towards visitors, and the practicability of maintaining the trade. It was accordingly thrown open, without restraint, to the enterprise of private individuals, and it appears in its increase to have exceeded the most sanguine expectations, which could have been entertained, respecting it. These voyages were undertaken chiefly for the purpose of procuring flax, but it has also been customary for vessels to leave parties on the different parts of the coast, to prosecute seal fisheries in the bays, which are frequented at certain seasons by the seals, and whales also."

Arrived from the coast of N.Z., the brig Wellington, Day master, belonging to Jos. Underwood, with between 6000 and 7000 sealskins, in a first-rate state of preservation. March 17: Arrived, the colonial schooner Newcastle from N.Z., with 1784 fur sealskins. Also at Hobart Town, the Traveller, after a short absence, bringing 470 fur skins, the best ever brought into port. The lot was purchased at 8s.—Hobart Town Gazette, March 10, 1825.

The brig Wellington, Day master, Underwood owner, sails to-day for Foveaux Straits, N.Z., to land upwards of 40 men, in sealing gangs. The enterprise involved in equipment of these gangs, will be gathered from the fact that, in outfit alone, a sum of £2500 has been spent on the party.—Hobart Gazette, May 5, 1825.

October 10, 1825.—Arrived, Alligator, Fairley master, from sealing grounds, Foveaux Straits, with 1460 skins and flax. December 19: The schooner Prince of Denmark, Stewart master, from N.Z., after nine months absence, with 450 fur seal skins.

December 22, 1828.—Grearson's (Hobart Town) trade list reports the arrival from W.Z. of 40,361 sealskins and 40gals. seal oil. Sydney exported the following N.Z. produce:—1828–118 tuns elephant oil, 7,647 sealskins; 1829–18 tuns elephant oil, 12,350 sealskins.

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At this time eight vessels, representing 706 tons, employing 246 men, got 18,500 skins worth £9250 for their year's work. Four representing 637 tons, employing 60 men, got 600 tuns elephant oil worth £9000.

November 25, 1830—London prices current, quote per tun of 252 gals:— Seal oil, £55 to £60. Seal skins, 1s 9d. to 9s per lb. The circular adds: "This gratifying intelligence cannot fail to prove highly acceptable, especially to those engaged in whale and seal fisheries. The former has for some time been a source of increasing profit, and the latter, we are happy to find, is beginning to command that share of attention it undoubtedly merits; for while the skins fetch in general a remunerating return, the above quotation of the price the oil fetches will fully evince the folly of our sealers, hitherto, in not availing themselves of so important and profitable an article, especially when obtained with so little difficulty and expense.

During the year 1830 Hobart Town imported from N.Z., and its coast fisheries, 400 sealskins, besides oil and whalebone.

London quotations report: A small parcel of sealskins sold at 28s. to 32s. They were of but middling quality. Good skins were in demand. The importations for the year were insignificant. Sales of N.Z. sealskins quoted as follows:—10 middlings and small, 32s; 14 ditto, 10s 1d; 17 large pups, 27s 9d; 23 middlings, 28s 2d; 16 ditto, 28s 4d; 66 small ditto, 19s 4d; 73 ditto, 16s 8d; 12 ditto (black), 6s 5d; 9 ditto, 6s 4d; 33 wigs and middlings, 17s 2d; 37 ditto, small, 21s 1d; 21 ditto, pups, 12s.

In 1830, Sydney exported 4448 N.Z. sealskins, valued at £3850, and in 1831 4681, valued at £4441.

We are happy to perceive that this important article (seal oil), which has been so long overlooked by our merchants, and which judiciously managed, would certainly prove one of the most profitable resources of the colony, is at length attracting some share of attention it so deservedly requires. Captain Griffiths, of the Henry, who came into this port a few days ago from a sealing voyage, besides 12,000 skins, brought a considerable quantity of oil, the produce of that animal, the whole of which was immediately bought up by Mr White, our spirited lamp contractor, who seems to have been better aware than many of its value. The numerous islands of these seas abound in an eminent degree, with seals, and it has hitherto been the usual custom with our sealers just to knock the animals on the head, and remove the skin, leaving the flesh behind, but they should remember that the oil which may be, with very little labour, expressed therefrom, is superior in quality to that of the black whale, and fetches £5 to £8 pea tun more in the London market than that commodity, and this, too, is a certain trade, whereas the value of its skin is proverbial for fluctuation. The process of obtaining the oil is a very simple one. The casks should have two bottoms; the upper one a few inches above the other, and perforated in several places to allow the oil to pass through. Having removed the skins (which of course can be kept and rendered available as usual), put the flesh in the cask, placing a very light pressure on the top, and an oil of a beautiful white lucid colour is soon deposited. This, of course, is termed the cold-drawn oil, which is drawn off, and a heavier pressure placed on the top, by means of which a second quality, somewhat thicker, and of a browner hue, is obtained; still, however, superior to the black oil. The refuse may then be boiled down, and will afford a third quality. The Henry is a Van page 119Dieman's Land sealer, and has been, very successful, and her example has induced one of our principle firms to determine on equipping a vessel without delay.—Sydney Gazette, April 5, 1831.

London Trade Review, May 24, 1831, reports: The demand for sealskins has been languid for some time past, and the value has declined 15 per cent. since the spring. The following are this year's sales:—

March	5	893	skins	realised	from	12/11	to	31/6
March	5	336	skins	realised	from	31/1	to	54/1
March	17	106	skins	realised	from	15/9	to	27/-
April	16	700	skins	realised	from	13/5	to	30/-
May	19	1614	skins	realised	from	8/6	to	31/1
July	2	1469	skins	realised	from	9/2	to	34/3
July	27	395	skins	realised	from	9/3	to	34/3
July	27	196	skins	realised	from	8/3	to	27/9
July	27	235	skins	realised	from	4/9	to	9/-
Aug.	11	186	skins	realised	from	16/-	to	16/3
Aug.	31	206	skins	realised	from	8/7	to	15/1
Aug.	31	97	skins	realised	from	25/-	to	33/2
Sept.	30	279	skins	realised	from	12/3	to	26/9
Oct.	27	1700	skins	realised	from	6/-	to	31/-
Oct.	27	304	skins	realised	from	14/6	to	28/2
Nov.	17	192	skins	realised	from	15/-	to	27/-

1838 (London) prices current, quote:—Southern whale and elephant oil (pale in casks), £34; ditto, second quality, £33; pale seal oil in casks, £44. In committee of the Imperial Parliament of 1838 Chas. Enderby gave evidence to the effect that 36 crafts had been engaged in these fisheries, whereas the number had now fallen to one. He attributed the falling off to the advantage given other oils, in the way of duties. The seal oil fisheries of Newfoundland had increased about 200 per cent. since the year 1821.