UARDSHIPS AND DANGEKS. i39 



owing to its taking to the water soon aftei- biitli, is 

 seldom captured alive. "With tlie Common Seal, theie- 

 fore, the order of things is reversed : — for, when the mother 

 is shot, and the cub for the time has escaped under the 

 ice, her hind quarters are suspended over the aperture, 

 which tempting bait soon attracts her olFspring to the 

 surface again, when its death is quickly compassed. 



The hunters, when on their sealing expeditions, not 

 uufrequently fall in Avitli the so-called " Gungare" or 

 wandering seals, spoken of some pages back. Such I mean 

 as, when the ice in the Gulf iias not broken up at the 

 usual time, nevertheless do not delay their departure 

 for the south, but traverse its surface until they meet 

 with open water. If the seals be far from the latter, when 

 met with by these men, great destruction is committed 

 amongst them. The poor creatures, at such times, from 

 seeing no means of escape, scramble about in all directions, 

 during which time their assailants manage to kill so many 

 as to be enabled to load their " killkar " — occasionally, 

 indeed, for the second or even the third time — before the 

 retreat of the remainder is secured. 



On ordinary occasions the flesh of the slaughtei'ed 

 seals is saved by the hunters ; but when they are very 

 successful, only the blubber and skins. If all goes well, 

 the expedition usually lasts from five to six weeks ; but 

 under adverse circumstances — whether from dearth of 

 seals, or storm — two or three months may elapse 

 before the boats return home, when a general division of 

 the spoil takes place. 



As shown, the men engaged in these sealing expeditions 

 are necessarily exposed to many and great hardships. To 

 say nothing of scanty fare, they must, of course, suffer much 

 from the inclemency of the weather. They likewise run 

 great personal risks, as well those consequent on navigat- 

 ing the ocean in an open boat in the winter time, as from 



