112 MANY SEALS SHOT. 



had not been previously liunted this summer, 

 we anticipated a brilliant day's sport. 



There were seven or eight huge fellows all 

 lying close to the outer edge of the ice, and we 

 first opened approaches in form against them. 

 They were very shy, and would not allow the 

 boat to come within shot ; but no sooner had 

 they dived into the sea than their unfortunate 

 habit of curiosity got the better of them, and 

 every one of them came close around the boat, 

 popping up their heads like " Jacks-in-the-box," 

 and flourishing their heels in the air contemp- 

 tuously as they dived again. I never enjoyed 

 more exciting sport than I had for a couple of 

 hours or so, for as fast as I could load and fire 

 there was a great round bullet-head standing 

 like a target in the water ready for me, and as 

 the sea was calm nearly every shot was success- 

 ful. Without the boat going 100 yards from 

 the spot, I shot dead fifteen seals of the very 

 largest size; but although I took the utmost 

 pains not to fire until the boat's head was 

 directed straight towards the seal and within 

 thirty yards of him, stiU I had the perverse bad 

 luck to lose twelve out of the fifteen, and gene- 

 rally had the additional vexation of seeing 

 them sinking out of reach of the harpoon, just 



