CARNARIA. CARNIVORA. 113 



called Whitecoats, are exceedingly fat, and the oil 

 they produce is more abundant and more valua- 

 ble. In this state, of course, they are incapable of 

 resistance, and are killed by a slight blow with the 

 bat. The gun is used only to shoot the old Seals, 

 in case the time of obtaining the whitecoats should 

 have passed without success. Another species is 

 also found, though not in so great numbers, the 

 Hood Seal (P. Cristata), which, though of larger 

 size, is less valuable. As soon as a Seal is killed, 

 and sometimes, we regret to say, even before, a 

 circular cut is made with a sharp knife around the 

 neck, and a longitudinal one down the belly to 

 the tail : the skin with the surface fat is then " scalp- 

 ed" off, forming altogether "a pelt: " this alone is 

 taken, the carcass being left upon the ice. The 

 pelt of a young whitecoat has often three inches 

 of fat, and weighs forty pounds. When three or 

 four pelts are obtained they are laid one on another 

 and dragged by a rope, the fur side being under- 

 most, to the vessel, when they are thrown into 

 the hold and stowed. The whole adventure is full 

 of hazard ; in the excitement of the pursuit, leaps 

 of terrific risk are taken from field to field, across 

 yawning chasms, whose terrors are scarcely noticed ; 

 and sometimes night draws on, when the excited 

 hunter, then first made aware of its approach, dis- 

 covers that he is many miles from his vessel, with no 

 clue to guide his return across interminable ice-fields. 

 With the setting sun the temperature has likewise 

 rapidly gone down ; and, perhaps, the bewildered 



