482 THE CENTRAL ESKIMO. 



from Cumberland Sound by KTimlien, and is described by liim (p. 

 38). There was a ball in the hollow body of this instrument, which 

 could not be jjulled through any of the openings. One line was 

 fastened to this ball, jmssing through the central hole, and another 

 one to the top of the whirl. A simpler pattern is represented in 

 Fig. 408. 



On its capture, the seal is dragged to the sledge and after Ijeing 

 covered with the bearskin is firmly secured by the lashing. It 

 freezes quickly and the hunter sits down on top of it. If the seal 

 happens to blow soon after the arrival of the hunter, a second one 

 may be procured, but generally the day is far spent when the first seal 

 is killed. 



Wherever water holes are found they are frequently visited during 

 the winter by the Eskimo. t'spcriHlly by those who have firearms. 

 They lie in wait at tlir hiwcr side of the hole, i. e., the side to which 

 the tide sets, and when the scul blows they shoot him. securing him 

 with the harpoon after he has drifted to the edge of the ice. These 

 holes can only be visited at spring tides, as in the intervals a treach- 

 erous floe partly covers the opening and is not destroyed until the 

 next spring tide. 



In March, when the seal brings forth its young, the same Avay of 

 hunting is continued, besides which young seals are eagerly jjursued. 

 The pregnant females make an ext^avation from five to ten feet in 

 length under the sii..\v. th.- divin- Imle beiuKat our (-ud. They ],ve-. 

 fer snowbanks an. I loii-li i.c >>v lln- o-acks au<l caxilics of -muiided 

 ice for this purpose, and pup in tlicsc lioh-s. The Eskimo set out ou 

 light sledges dragged by a few dogs, which quickly take up the scent 

 < >f the seals. The dogs hurry at the utmost speed to the place of the 

 hole. whiTc they stop at once. The hunter jumps from the sledge 

 and bleaks down the roof of the excavation as quickly as possible, 

 cutting oft the retreat of the seal through its hole if he can. Gener- 

 ally the mother escapes, but the awkward piip is taken by surprise, 

 or, if very young, cannot get into the water. The Eskimo draws it 

 out by means of a hook (niksiang) and kills it by firmly stepping 

 on the poor beast's breast. An old pattern of the hook used is rep- 

 resented according to Kumlien's drawing in Fig. 409 ; another, made 

 from a bear's claw, in Fig. 410; the modern pattern, in Fig. 411. 



Sometimes the natives try to catch the old seal in a most cruel way, 

 by using the love of the dam for her pup to lure her to the siirface of 

 the hole. They tie a thong to the hind flipi)er of the pup and throw 

 it into the hole. It dives at once, crying pitifully. When it comes 

 up to breathe the hunter pushes it back, and frequently the dam 

 returns to her young and attempts to draw it away. As soon as she 

 is seen the harpoon is plunged into her body and she is quickly 

 drawn out of the water and killed. 



