tales-of-Fogo-Island

The Loss of the ScammelsYears ago, many people would go to Little Fogo Islands to take part in thespring seal hunt. One Sunday afternoon, the Donahue men were sitting downto eat when a knock came on the door of their house. Two young men fromChange Islands stepped inside and said, "This is where the sealers are to!"The home of Mr. William Donahue, Little Fogo Islands,as it was when the Scammels were lost.They explained that they planned to go sealing the following morning in a rowboat rigged with a sail. Mr. William Donahue said, "Now, boys, when you gooff the northeast of Little Fogo Islands you are out on the ocean. It's not thesame as the north end of Change Islands, so watch yourselves."The next day, Mr. Donahue went up on Dean's Harbour Head for a lookaround. This was the highest point of land on the island. He spied the youngmen's row boat to the north-east, but they were very far away. In fact, theywere so far away that the sail on the boat looked no bigger than a ladieshandkerchief.That evening the wind chopped round and the men were lost at the ice. Theirboat was found sometime later off of Tilting. Their bodies were never found.Questions to think and write about:1. How is the modem seal hunt different than the hunt in those days?