THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 653 



a snow- wall about four feet in height, to shelter him from the 

 wind, and seating himself under the lee of it, deposits his .spears, 

 lines, and other implements upon several little forked sticks 

 inserted into the snow, in order to prevent the smalh'.-t noise 

 being made in moving them when wanted. But the most 

 curious precaution consists in tying his knees together with 

 a thong so securely as to prevent any rustling of his clothes, 

 which might otherwise alarm the animal. In this situation a man 

 will sit quietly sometimes for hours together, attentively listening 

 to any noise made by the seal, and sometimes using the " deep- 

 kuttuk " in order to ascertain whether the animal is stilt at work 

 below. This simple little instrument which affords another 

 striking proof of Esquimau ingenuity is merely a slender rod 

 of bone (as delicate as a fine wire, that the seal may not see it), 

 nicely rounded, and having a point at one end and a knob at the 

 other. It is inserted into the ice, and the knob remaining above 

 the surface, informs the fisherman by its motion whether the seal 

 is employed in making his hole ; if not, it remains undisturbed, 

 and the attempt is given up in that place. When the hunter sup- 

 poses the hole to be nearly completed, he cautiously lifts his spear 

 (to which the line has been previously attached), and as soon as 

 the blowing of the seal is distinctly heard and the ice conse- 

 quently very thin he drives it into him with the force of both 

 arms, and then cuts away with his " panna," or well-sharpened 

 knife, the remaining crust of ice, to enable him to repeat the 

 wounds and get him out. The " neituk " being the smallest seal, 

 is held, while struggling, either simply by hand, or by putting 

 the line round a spear with the point stuck into the ice. For the 

 * oguke," the line is passed round the man's leg or arm ; and 

 fora walrus, round his body, his feet being at the same time 

 firmly set against a hummock of ice, in which position these 

 people can, from habit, hold against a very heavy strain. A boy 

 of fifteen is equal to the killing of a " neituk," but it requires a 

 full-grown person to master either of the larger animals. This 

 sport is not without danger, which adds to the excitement of 

 success, particularly if the creature struck by the hunter be a 



