270 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
the netting, which is the most important fishery of the year, but which 
can be prosecuted with success only in the darkest nights. The natives 
say that even a bright aurora interferes with the netting. At this sea- 
son narrow leads of open water are often formed parallel to the shore, and 
frequently remain open for several days. The natives are constantly 
reconnoitering the ice in search of such leads, and when one is found 
nearly all the men in the village go out to it with their nets. <A place 
is sought where the ice is tolerably level and not too thick for about a 
hundred yards back from the lead, at which distance the nets are set, 
often a number of them close together, in the manner already described, 
so that they hang like curtains under the ice, parallel to the edge of the 
open water. When darkness comes on the hunters begin to rattle on 
the ice with their ice picks, scratch with the seal call, or make some 
other gentle and continuous noise, which soon excites the curiosity of 
the seals that are swimming about in the open lead. One at length 
dives under the ice and swims in the direction of the sound, which of 
course leads him directly into the net, where he is entangled. 
On favorable nights a great many seals are captured in this way. 
For instance, on the night of December 2, 1882, the netters from Utkiay- 
wit alone took at least one hundred seals. Such lucky hauls are not 
common, however. As the weather at this season is often excessively 
cold, the seals freeze stiff soon after they are taken from the net, and if 
sufficient snow has fallen they are stacked up by sticking their hind 
flippers in the snow. This keeps them from being covered up and lost 
if the snow begins to drift. I have counted thirty seals, the property 
of one native, piled up in this way into a single stack. The women and 
children go out at their convenience with dog sleds and bring in the 
seals. A woman, however, who is at work on deerskin clothing must 
not touch a hand to the seals or the sled on which they are loaded, but 
may lend a hand at hauling on the drag line. When the seals are 
brought to the edge of the beach they must not be taken on land till 
each has been given a mouthful of fresh water. We did not learn the 
object of this practice, but Nordenski6ld, who observed a similar custom 
at Pitlekaj, was informed that it was to keep the leads from closing.! 
When the lead keeps open for several days, or there is a prospect of 
its opening again, the hunter leaves his gear out on the ice, sometimes 
bringing his ice pick, scoop, and setting pole part way home and sticking 
them up in the snow alongside of the path. In 1834 a lead remained 
open for several days about 3 or 4 miles from the village, and the 
natives made a regular beaten trail out toit. When we visited the net- 
ting ground the lead had closed, but nearly all the men had left their 
gear sticking up near it, with the nets tied up and hung upon the ice 
picks. They had built little walls of snow slabs asa protection against 
the wind. The season for this netting ends with the January gales, 
which close the leads permanently. 
‘Vega, vol. 2, p. 130. ‘Compare the custom observed in Baffin Land, of sprinkling a few drops of 
water on the head of the seal before it is cut up, mentioned by Hall, Aretie Researches, p. 573. 
