204 HUNTERS AND HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



Each morning the men turned the hoses 

 upon it when washing the deck. Curiously 

 enough this sousing, instead of pleasing it as 

 I had thought it would, made it absolutely 

 furious. 



During our imprisonment amid the ice in 

 the Kara Sea we had another seal as pet, 

 but this one was never brought aboard. 



When the thaw opened a hole in the ice for 

 the ship, a small vetulina seal appeared regularly 

 to inspect us. It remained for long intervals 

 with its head above the water not ten yards from 

 us, curiously inspecting the Belgica, and mani- 

 festing no fear of us when, leaning over the 

 taffrail, we welcomed it. Because it displayed 

 no fear we did it no harm. 



Let us hope that the confidence in man- 

 kind it probably acquired from the experience 

 of those few weeks' familiarity with us, never 

 led it to approach the neighbourhood of a seal 

 fisher ! 



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