202 HUNTERS AND HUNTING IN THE ARCTK 



Two of the men seized its hind fins and flung 

 it into the bottom of the boat, where it remained 

 motionless. 



Whether it was asleep, or too old or too fat, 

 I do not know, but it is the one and only occasion 

 I saw a seal wait for a man to approach it. It 

 was a living lesson for those that had escaped, 

 showing how idleness and obesity render self- 

 defence impossible. 



Having killed six large males, I returned 

 aboard, and we resumed our north-westerly course. 



The ice was rather fast, and threatened to 

 become still more so, so we steamed through 

 the open canals at full speed. From time to 

 time snow fell and the cold was intense. 



The seal which I had just captured, and 

 which had been flung aboard without ceremony, 

 suddenly became animated and began to assert 

 itself in a manner not at all pleasant. It 

 successively charged every man aboard, snap- 

 ping at our calves and boots. A general sauve qui 

 peut ensued. Nevertheless, we were rather 

 pleased at being able to study intimately the 

 supple and powerful motions of this animal, 

 which a few minutes before had seemed like 

 nothing so much as a large pudding. 



Merite was jubilant, and photographed it 

 from all points. As regards Recamier, who had 



