482 THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



boat noiselessly landed. The hunters get upon the floe 

 behind the creature, but scarcely does one raise its head 

 in contempt and anger than all the others wake up, and 

 the whole herd press forward, pushing the young ones 

 with them to the edge of the floe, where they turn head 

 foremost into the water. Only this short time is at the 

 hunter's disposal, and his shots must be quick and true. 

 Should one of the young ones be killed, the mother 

 carries it with her flappers, challenging her enemies to 

 fight, with a fierce look. A walrus once killed is quickly 

 made fast by a rope to the boat before it sinks. The 

 weight of these creatures is so enormous that two of 

 them which we had hoisted on to the same side of the 

 deck gave it a decided inclination. 



We were obliged to eat seals as well as walrus, and that 

 too (more often than not) raw. Their flesh has a strong 

 flavour of train oil ; that of the latter is almost black, the 

 liver a beautiful violet. Both creatures have the extra- 

 ordinary habit of occasionally swallowing stones. The 

 seal is from three to six feet long, perfectly harmless and 

 defenceless. It is cautious and suspicious and will dive 

 for the slightest cause. Indeed, its apish face, with its 

 peculiar expression of curiosity, is in and out of the water 

 every minute. 



Seals, too, live in herds. Seal-hunters often find hun- 

 dreds on one ice-floe. Whilst they sleep or sun them- 

 selves they set a watch, which being killed, the whole 

 herd may often be taken. A seal hunt is carried on in 

 different ways ; the most successful is with clubs. Their 

 skull is very weak. Our bullets had the effect of blowing 

 them to pieces. The most fruitful ground for seal-hunt- 

 ing is the neighbourhood of Newfoundland and the lonely 



