150 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



cold. All preparations being complete, lie stands or sits abso- 

 lutely motionless for hours until a seal comes to the hole to 

 breathe. The slightest movement or noise made as the seal 

 approaches raises suspicion and the animal goes elsewhere. The 

 near approach is heralded by strings of bubbles formed by the 

 animal emptying its lungs as it rises to the hole. When its 

 nostrils are above the water and it begins a series of long 

 inspirations, the Eskimo noiselessly brings his spear directly 

 over the centre of the hole, and strikes down with his full 

 strength, hoping to drive the barb into the brain and immedi- 

 ately kill the seal. This often happens with small ones, but 

 with the large ground-seal a single blow rarely kills it, and a 

 struggle between man and victim then takes place. The winter 

 seal spear is from five to six feet long. It consists of four parts, 

 the barb, the iron rod on which the head fits, the wooden shaft 

 and the iron ice-chisel at the end opposite to the spear. The 

 head or barb is now almost always made of iron, the ancient 

 ones being of stone, or iron and ivory. It is about three inches 

 long, and quite narrow in proportion to the length ; the point is 

 formed into a slender barbed spear, with a small hole at its base 

 which fits the iron rod of the handle. Near the centre is another 

 hole, at right angles to the length, to which is attached several 

 fathoms of seal line. The rod of the shaft is from fifteen to 

 thirty inches long, and is usually made from three-eighths or 

 half -inch iron or steel. At the upper end it is pointed to fit the 

 hole in the base of the spearhead ; at the lower end it is securely 

 fastened to the wooden handle by being driven into it to the 

 depth of three or four inches, and the end of the wood is 

 strongly bound with sinew. The wooden handle forms the 

 middle portion of the spear ; it is usually about two feet long, 

 and of sufficient circumference to afford a strong and convenient 

 grasp. A small peg of ivory projects about half an inch from 

 the side of the wooden handle, and over this peg a small loop 

 attached to the spear line is passed. This keeps the line taut, 



