NATIVES OF GREENLAND. 81 



one of them paddles silently in his rear, using the paddle with 

 one hand, whilst with the other he is getting his tackle in 

 order; and, having advanced near enough, for he is sure to 

 measure the distance with accuracy, he tlings his dart, and 

 never fails to strike. The seal, terrified and wounded, dives 

 in the greatest flurry ; but a float being attached to the dart 

 by a leathern line, he is soon forced up again, and is shortly 

 dispatched They are then careful to staunch the wounds, 

 to save as much of the blood as possible, and to distend 

 the body, by blowing into the cellular part, as butchers 

 sometimes are used to do, in order to make the body of 

 the animal buoyant, otherwise it Avould go to the bottom as 

 soon as dead. 



Seal hunting, being their most profitable as well as most 

 dangerous pursuit, is looked upon as the perfection of 

 manly achievement. It forms the burden of praise to 

 which every man aspires ; and it is chiefly through the 

 fame of having killed such a number of seals that any man 

 can aim at pre-eminence. The unmarried women listen 

 with eagerness when such great exploits are recounted ; 

 and a description of a seal hunt given, with proper em- 

 phasis and gesture, by the fortunate hunter, is sure to 

 obtain general approbation. The applause which they 

 bestow is not however clamorous, but tinctured with that 

 decency and reserve for Avhich they are remarkable. It 

 is on such occasions that love matches usually are set on 



M 



