Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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Fleete of them, of great large boates,
which diuide themselues into diuers companies, fiue or sixe boats in a
consort.
They that first finde the haunt, fire a beacon, which they carry with them
for the nonce. Which being espied by the other companies, by such among
them as are appointed of purpose, they come altogether and compasse the
Seales round about in a ring, that lie sunning themselues together vpon the
yce, commonly foure or fiue thousand in a shoale, and so they inuade them
euery man with his club in his hand. If they hit them on the nose they are
soone killed. If on the sides or backe they beare out the blow, and many
times so catch and holde downe the clubbe with their teeth by maine force,
that the partie is forced to call for helpe to his fellowes.
The maner of the Seals is when they see themselues beset, to gather all
close together in a throng or plumpe, to sway downe the yce, and to breake
it (if they can) which so bendeth the yce that many times it taketh the sea
water vpon it, and maketh the hunters to wade a foote or more deepe. After
the slaughter when they haue killed what they can, they fall to sharing
euery boate his part in equall portions: and so they flay them, taking from
the body the skin, and the lard or fat with all that cleaueth to the skin.
This they take with them, leauing the bodies behind, and so go to shore.
Where they digge pits, in the grounde of a fadome and an halfe deepe, or
thereabout, and so taking the fat or lard off from the skinne, they throw
it into the pit, and cast in among it boat burning stones to melt it
withall.
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