252 



THE SEALS. 



intelligent Norwegian, and the dark-haired Qven, 

 the descendant of the immigrant Russian Finns. 

 ... A trait which unfortunately characterizes all 

 of them is an extreme indolence, which in the Qven 

 amounts to apathy. For hours together the latter 

 can lie on the same spot or steer to the same point 

 of the compass without giving any indication by his 

 countenance that his mind is occupied with any- 

 thing at all. In helping to lift a cask of bread on 

 board the Isbforn a Qven got the first joint of one 

 of his fingers smashed, whereupon the captain of 

 his ship cut off the shattered fragment with the 

 blubber-knife. On being asked whether the opera- 

 tion hurt him he calmly replied, 'No!' 



" Although not to such a degree as the Qven the 

 Norwegian also possesses a considerable share of 

 listlessness. When a ship is beset by ice all quietly 

 place their hands in their bosoms, and it never 

 occurs to any of them to try to get free by their own 

 exertions. A general holiday prevails, a period of 

 dolcissimo far niente, of the most unbounded idle- 

 ness, which every one takes advantage of as best 

 he can. ' It will soon be all right' is the general 

 motto, and everyone thinks, in saying that, of the 

 favourable wind which in due course will set in and 

 open up the ice. . . . 



" How completely changed, however, are these 

 same people when they have put off the sailor and 

 put on the hunter. 'A walrus in sight!' resounds 

 from the crow's-nest, and at one blow the sluggish 

 sailor is changed into the bold hunter, the cool shot, 

 the untiring pursuer. The boat's crew pounce upon 

 the boat, which is always kept in perfect readiness. 

 In an instant it is in the water, and, urged by power- 

 ful strokes of the oars, is making for the black spot 

 which indicates the booty in the distance. If there 

 is thick ice in the way the whole crew jump out, 

 pull up the boat, and drag it over the floe to the 

 next channel. 



" All this is done so rapidly that you fancy you 

 have different men before your eyes. And yet there 

 is no hurrying, everyone performs his task with 

 calmness and without undue haste. Often the boats 

 go many miles in the pursuit, and remain absent 

 from the ship for days; often they are parted by 

 the mists, and do not find each other again till after 

 long searching. Only the captain, the cook, and 

 the cabin-boy then remain on board; how they 

 are to manreuvre the ship is their business. Nobody 

 thinks of that when there is a prospect of a catch. 



" If the walrus is sleeping on the ice the boat is 

 almost inaudibly brought so close up to it that the 



harpooneer can jump on the ice with his long lance 

 and quietly transfix his game, which is quite inca- 

 pable of offering anyresistance when out of the water. 

 If several animals are together and their assailants 

 succeed in killing those nearest the water so speedily 

 that the others cannot reach it, then the victory is 

 secure. The bodies of the slain then form a ram- 

 part which these animals, so helpless on the ice, 

 cannot surmount, and the whole herd fall victims 

 to the lance. Such a piece of luck is the great 

 object of desire to the walrus-hunter. 



" But the chase assumes quite a different aspect 

 when the animals manage to reach the water in 

 time. They advance curiously up to the unknown 

 object and swim threateningly round the boat. 

 Forward in the prow stands the harpooneer a 

 harpoon in his right hand ready to strike, five others 

 lying clear beside him so that he can seize them 

 with a rapid snatch. Beside him lie also a rifle and 

 a lance with a heavy wooden shaft, and a double- 

 edged blade a hand-breadth wide and a foot long. 

 Every man at the oars has an axe at his left hand, 

 a long rudely worked blubber-knife on his right. 



" The foremost animal is now near enough. With 

 all his strength the hunter plunges the harpoon into 

 his body, rapidly withdraws the long thin shaft, and 

 fastens the end of the harpoon-line to a strong 

 block. The ungainly bleeding animal gives a loud 

 bellow and dives under the water, but the line, from 

 35 to 40 feet in length, allows him but little play. 

 He soon re-emerges and drags the boat along after 

 him. At the bellowing of their stricken comrade 

 the whole herd become infuriated and make a dash 

 against the weak boat and its occupants. Now 

 here, now there, a colossal shaggy head showing eyes 

 rolling with rage rises in the immediate vicinity 

 and exhibits its tusks a foot long. In blind fury 

 the animals lash the water close by the boat with 

 their huge bodies. The harpooneer meanwhile 

 stands coolly at his post and singles out a second 

 victim a powerful stroke, and another animal is 

 fastened to the line. The boat now shoots on with 

 doubled speed, leaving a broad wake behind; the 

 furious herd still follows. Often it comes to a 

 close encounter. With the exception of the one 

 who has to steer the boat in the midst of the excit- 

 ing scene, and on whose coolness and dexterity the 

 life of all depends, every one quits his oar and seizes 

 his knife and axe to defend the slim craft against 

 the furious heads which, always returning, endeav- 

 our to strike the boat above the gunwale. It does 

 not occur to any of the animals to make a direct 



