94 Meteorological Observations. [woTember, is64. 



crisped so loudly under the foot that he could make his advance 

 only wliile the seal was taking- its cat-naps, which he found to vary 

 from half a minute to a minute each only; he watched for these 

 very closely. To secure a good position and a support for his rifle, he 

 was obliged at last to throw himself flat on the ice, and hitch himself 

 along, Eskimo fashion. In this way he got within fair range, and, peer- 

 ing through a crevice in the hummock, saw the seal shake its flippers, 

 roll from side to side, and then drop its head for what he hoped would 

 ])e its last nap. After taking careful aim, he thought for a few seconds 

 that he surely had his prize ; but on firing, the seal with one bound 

 plunged handsomely through its hole into the sea, leaving him only the 

 grim satisfaction of finding enough oil at the hole to show that his shot 

 had taken effect. He knew that unless a seal is killed at the instant, it 

 is lost ; for it lies close to its hole, and generally with its head hanging 

 over the edge, ready for a plunge. A deep fissure in the ice before him 

 prevented any further efforts in this direction. 



The 1st of November was a day of storm, the wind blowing a 

 gale and the snow flying furiously. Hall commenced making his me- 

 teorological observations seven times a day. He had previously 

 to this registered three times onl}^ ; — morning, noon, and night. He 

 now added the hours 3 a. m., 9 a. m., 3 p. m., and 9 p. m. Nine of the 

 thermometers presented to him by Tagliabue, of New York, were still 

 at his command. They agreed well at the higher temperatures, but 

 below zero their differences showed as much as ten degrees. He suc- 

 ceeded in neatly repairing his sextant, using the tube of a broken ther- 

 mometer as a blow-pipe and some ''magic salve" as a flux. 



On renewing his plans for the coming season, the Innuits pro- 

 posed to mak(t ihcir way early to Iwillik for their own purposes. 



