SEALS 185 



seals, impelled by curiosity, came to the surface 

 around the boat, and I succeeded in killing one 

 of them. We made a detour of the ice-field to 

 get out of the wind, and soon saw a large black 

 mass lying on the snow several hundred yards 

 away. Having located its position, we lay 

 down at the bottom of the boat. 



I, dressed in white flannel, was in the bows, 

 and served to mask Jonas, who, in the stern, 

 pushed us noiselessly onwards, little by little, 

 with long strokes of his well-greased oars. My 

 white clothes, surmounting the little blue boat, 

 gave us the appearance of being one of the 

 many ice splinters amid which we moved. We 

 now were able to clearly distinguish a seal. It 

 was lying on its right side presenting its stomach 

 towards us. Its head was to our larboard, in 

 such a position as to render shooting easy as 

 soon as it moved, but, until it moved, I could not 

 hope to find a vulnerable spot. For the moment 

 we could see only its rounded body, on which 

 its hind fins lay like short, malformed arms. Its 

 head, flung backwards, seemed like some grey 

 ball hidden by the body. When we were 

 within range, it grew restless, turned over on 

 to its belly, and raised its head. I aimed and 

 sighted for a vulnerable spot. 



Seen as it was at that moment, the animal 



