1 90 HUNTERS AND HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



which his photographic lenses would have 

 suffered. As regards the doctor, neither the 

 camera nor the seal preoccupied him ; it was 

 of us only he thought, fearing that an immersion 

 in the icy water might probably place us in his 

 hands. So infinite precautions were taken to 

 range the Belgica alongside the floe, and to hoist 

 the seal aboard. 



We resumed our course. The landscape 

 was magnificent, varying more and more as we 

 neared the coast. Each bay was filled with 

 the ice which locked the shore. We navigated 

 large lakes like polished silver, whose shores were 

 formed of ice blue, white and green. The 

 mountain peaks and the clouds were faultlessly 

 reflected as in a mirror. Above us, flights of 

 guillemots and mergules circled and wheeled, 

 filling the still, pure air with their laughing cries. 



About six o'clock in the morning I again 

 attempted to approach several seals in Red Bay, 

 near the Makaroif Glacier, without result ; 

 they dived too quickly. 



In the course of my study of the habits of 

 seals, I have observed that, during the months 

 when the Arctic sun does not sink below the 

 horizon, most northern animals, particularly 

 seals, sleep during the night hours. I have also 

 observed that seals almost invariably lie on 



