166 GREENLAND. 



Seated in his kajak, with his spear al? ogside, his coil of 

 line in front, his seal-skin buoy behind, two bird-spears on 

 the upper part of the canoe, and his rifle inside, the hunter 

 takes his departure, putting on a white calico jumper over 

 his sealskin, if he be likely to meet with ice. 







Paddle in hand, and gliding through the water at six 

 miles per hour, he soon sees a seal's head above the 

 surface. Cautiously getting his spear ready, as he rests 

 on his paddle, and clearing his line, he quietly follows in 

 the track of the animal, whose keenness of hearing obliges 

 him to be as noiseless as possible. Arrived within proper 

 distance, he launches the spear, which, striking the seal, 

 leaves the harpoon-head sticking, and away go line, buoy, 

 and prey. The buoy prevents the seal from sinking too 

 low, or swimming to any distance. If the wound be not 







fatal, the animal quickly rises to the surface to breathe, 

 ind, the spot being indicated by the buoy, the ready 

 hunter, adroitly darting another spear, ultimately suc- 

 ceeds in his object. It is then hauled on the top of the 

 kajak, or fastened alongside. 



The hunter then generally returns to his home, con- 

 tent with killing one ; but should he meet with any piece 

 of floating ice, knowing the propensity of the seal to bask 

 and rest on these, he paddles up to them. The white 

 jumper now stands him in good stead. The animal, 

 aroused by the plashing of the paddle, rises on its hind 

 flippers, gazes with its large, lustrous eyes at the kajak; 

 seeing the white surface, mistakes it for a piece of ice^ 

 And resumes its former position. The hunter, now 



