J 52 Nu-ker-zkoo's Seal- Watch. [March, ises. 



or blow of the animal, down goes a strong muscTilar arm, carrying a liarpoon into 

 its head, neck, or back. When the seal dives carrying out the length of the line 

 attached to the harpoon, the sealer retaining firm hold of the other end, removes 

 all the snow from over the hole, draws the seal into it, and drags him out. 



Two such seal hunts now followed. On the 8th, Nu-ker-zlioo took 

 Hall with him three miles out from the shore to a seal-hole which he 

 had discovered, and about which he had built a snow-wall 5 feet in 

 diameter and 5 feet in height on the north side, but 18 inches only on 

 the south. This was for his protection from the wind while watching. 



Into this hole, at the spot marked on his previous visit, Nu-ker- 

 zhoo ran a whalebone rod, which, by striking ice, showed that some 

 time had passed since the seal had been there ; drawing out the rod 

 and smelling it, he whispered ^^tepicF (stink — hull-seal). Returning the 

 rod to the same little hole, he carefully scraped away the snow from 

 around the rod, so as to leave only about 6 inches over the seal-hole. 

 He then drew out the rod and placed the end of the wood-part of his 

 oo-nar directly over the rod-hole. Holding this perpendicular with 

 one hand, he used tlie other in packing snow around it till he had 

 returned the 10 inches of snow over the seal-hole which he had 

 scraped away. Then the spear-handle was lifted up gently, which 

 left an inch-square hole ; this was to be his mark and guide for his 

 liarpoon in striking the seal as soon as he should hear it. He then 

 ran the little rod down through the dome of the seal's house (or as it 

 may be called az/loo, for it is really a small snow-hut) to determine the 

 depth of the snow over it ; for it was on this his feet were to rest 

 while watching. 



The next thing was to prepare himself for spending the whole 

 night in perfect silence. He threw down a piece of furred deer-skin 



