400 HOW IIUNTEP. 



only above water, and, without changing his place, quickly 

 dives down again. They seldom appear solitary upon tin- 

 ware, principally swimming and fishing underneath, occa- 

 sionally raising their heads when devouring larger pre\ 

 They swim in a variety of ways; sometimes on their 

 backs, often on their sides, occasionally whirling about MS 

 if to amuse themselves. They frequently sleep on the 

 surface of the water, and upon the whole are regarded :i^ 

 incautious, especially when on the ice." 



Grants?, after telling us that the Seal in question " is 

 careless and stupid, and the only one which the (Jreen- 

 lander, when quite alone, will venture to attack," goes 

 on to say: "This he does in his Knjnk, which is shaped 

 like a weaver's shuttle. Thus equipped, away he goes 

 with as high a conceit of himself as any Mr. Captain in 

 his ship. "When he espies the Seal, he tries to surprise 

 it unawares, with the wind and sun at his hack, that he 

 may not be heard or seen. He makes hastily, but softly 

 towards it, till ho reaches within four or six fathoms. Me 

 then takes hold of the oar in his left hand, and the harpoon 

 with his right, and so away he throws it at the Seal. The 

 moment the instrument is fixed, the Greenlander must 

 throw the attached buoy into the water on the same side 

 that the Seal dives, for that he does instantly like a dart. 

 The Seal often draws the buoy along with it under water. 

 and it so wearies itself, that it must come up again in 

 about a quarter of an hour, to take breath. The (Jrecn- 

 lander now hastes to smite it with his long lance; thus he 

 keeps dart in- at it till it is quite spent, \\heii lie kills it 

 outright with his small lance ; lastly, he blows it up like 

 a bladder, that it may s\\ im the more easily after his 

 Kajak.' In this exercise he is exposed to the most and 

 greatest danger of his life ; for if the line should entangle 

 itself, as it easily may in its sudden and violent motion, 

 or if it should catch hold <!' the 'Kajak,' or of an oar. 



