But, that my chapter about seals may be worth sealing, I will give you the history of an incident, which illustrates the sagacity of an Indian in killing his game. A Mik-mak hunter, with his family, had reached the shore of the St. Lawrence, hungry and short of ammunition. On a large sand-bank which lay before him, at a time when the tide was low, he discovered an immense number of seals. He waited for the tide to flow and again to ebb, and as soon as the sand appeared above the water, he hastened to the dry point, in his canoe, carrying only a hatchet as a weapon. On this spot he immediately dug a hole, into which he crept, and covered himself with a blanket. He then commenced uttering a cry, in imitation of the seal, and in a short time had collected about him a very large number of those animals. He waited patiently for the tide to retire so far that the animals would have to travel at least a mile by land before reaching the water; and, when the wished-for moment arrived, he suddenly fell upon the affrighted multitude, and with his tomahawk, succeeded in slaughtering upwards of one hundred. To many this may appear to be an improbable story; but when it is remembered that this amphibious animal is an exceedingly slow land traveller, it will be readily believed. The manner in which our hunter managed to save his game, was to tie them together with bark, and when the tide rose, tow them to the main shore.
Since I have brought my reader upon the waters of the St. Lawrence, I will not permit him to go ashore until I have given him an account of another inhabitant of the deep which is found in very great abundance, not only in this river, but also in the Saguenay. I allude to the white porpoise. The shape of this creature is similar to that of the whale, though of a pure white colour, and usually only about fifteen feet in length. They are exceedingly fat, and yield an oil of the best quality; while the skin is capable of being turned into durable leather. They are extensively used as an article of food: the fins and tail when pickled are considered a delicacy; and their value is about twenty-five dollars a piece. They are far from being a shy fish; and, when sailing about your vessel in large numbers, as is often the case, they present a beautiful and unique appearance.