NATIVE HUNTING METHODS 137 



ing for hours upon the snow, a dqer-skin bag is com- 

 monly used to stand in. 



During the interval of the seal's absence from home 

 the doorway becomes frozen over, and it is on account 

 of this fact that the hunter is made aware of its 

 return, for when the seal comes back to its hole and 

 finds it crusted over, it at once commences to blow 

 upon the ice to melt it. This is the hunter's long- 

 desired signal, and the moment he hears it he places 

 the point of his harpoon at the mark on the snow, and 

 thrusts the weapon vertically down into the hole, almost 

 invariably with deadly effect. The seal, thus har- 

 pooned in the head, is instantly killed, and is then 

 hauled out by the line attached to the spear. 



Some seasons, when the ice is covered by a great 

 depth of snow, the dogs are not able to scent the 

 seals' houses, and then the Eskimo has to depend upon 

 other sources for food, or else go on short rations. 



In the spring, as the snow disappears, the seals' 

 winter quarters are demolished, and they themselves 

 are exposed to view. Then the Eskimo is obliged to 

 resort to other methods of getting at them. AVhen 

 one is observed, the direction of the wind is first 

 noted, then the hunter, keeping to leeward of the seal, 

 walks to within about a quarter of a mile of it ; but 

 beyond this he begins to crouch, and advances only 

 when the seal's head is down. The seal is one of the 

 most wide-awake of all animals, and has the habit 

 of throwing up its head quickly every, few seconds to 

 guard against danger. When its head is down upon 

 the ice, its eyes are shut, and it is said that in these 

 brief intervals it takes its sleep. However this may 

 be, the hunter, by carefully watching the seal's move- 



