264 PREHISTORIC FISHING. 



boat in equilibrium with their hands. They commonly sail thirty miles a 



day. 



" The small man's boat, or Kajak, is six yards long, and shaped like a 

 weaver's shuttle. The middle is not a foot and a half broad, and scarcely a foot 

 in depth. It is constructed of long laths with cross hoops, secured by whalebone, 

 and is cased in seal-skin leather. Both the ends of the boat are capped with 

 bone, on account of the friction to which they are exposed amongst the rocks. 

 In the middle of the leathern covering of the kajak is a round hole with a ring 

 of wood or bone. In this the Greenlander squats down upon a soft fur, the hoop 

 or margin reaching up to his hips, and tucks his water-pelt or great coat so tightly 

 round him, that no water can penetrate into the boat. This water-coat is also 

 fastened close round his neck and arms, by bone buttons. The harpoon-dart is 

 strapped to the kajak at his side. Before him lies the line rolled up, and behind 

 him the bladder. He grasps with both hands the middle of his Pautik, or oar, 

 which is made of solid deal plated with metal at the ends, and with bone along 

 the sides, and strikes the water quickly and evenly, beating time. Thus equipped, 

 he sets out to hunt seals or sea-fowl, with spirits as elate as the commander of 

 the largest man-of-war." (Vol. I, page 137, etc.). 



" There are three methods of taking the seal ; either singly with the bladder, 

 or in company, by the clapper hunt, or in the winter on the ice. 



" The customary method is that in which the harpoon and bladder are em- 

 ployed. The Greenlander seated in his kajak with all his accoutrements, no 

 sooner perceives a seal than he approaches, if possible, to leeward of him, with 

 the sun on his back, lest he should be seen or scented by the animal. Concealing 

 himself behind a wave, he darts swiftly but softly forward, till he arrives within 

 the distance of five or six fathoms, taking care meanwhile, that the harpoon, 

 string, and bladder, lie in proper order. He then takes the paddle in his left 

 hand, and seizing the harpoon in his right, lances it by the casting board at the 

 seal. If the harpoon sinks deeper than the barbs, it immediately disengages 

 itself from the bone joint, and that again from the shaft, while the string is wound 

 from its roller in the kajak. The Greenlander, the moment he has struck the 

 seal, which dives down with the velocity of an arrow, throws the bladder after 

 him into the water. He then picks up the floating shaft, and restores it to its 

 groove in the kajak. The bladder, which displaces a body of water of more than 

 a hundred pounds weight, is frequently dragged down by the seal ; but the 

 animal is so wearied by this encumbrance, that he is obliged to reappear on the 

 surface in about a quarter of an hour to draw breath. The Greenlander, on per- 

 ceiving the bladder, rows up to it, and as soon as the seal makes his appearance, 

 wounds him with the great barbless lance ; and this he repeats as often the ani- 

 mal emerges above water, till it is quite exhausted. He then despatches it with 



