PURSUING THE SEAL AFLOAT. 



195 



ing-stick. Curiously enough, the far-distant Australasians had a similar 

 contrivance for hurling javelins. As he throws, the kayaker loosens 

 the bladder and tosses it off. The animal struck dives, carrying away 

 the coiled-np line with great speed ; if in this moment the line happens 

 to become entangled, the canoe is almost certain to be capsized and drag- 

 ged away, with no chance of rising again, and many an Eskimo has lost 

 his life through such a. mischance. But if the attack has been suc- 

 cessful, the bladder moving on the surface of the water indicates the 

 track of the frantic animal beneath it, and the hunter follows with the 

 large lance, which, when the seal re-appears, he throws as he did the 

 harpoon. This he does again and again, the lance always disengaging 

 itself, until the poor seal becomes so weak that it can be overtaken and 

 killed by a lunge of the knife. 



'SEAL MEADOW, OR HERD UPON THE ICE. 



The flesh of the netsick serves for food all through the summer, and 

 is dried, or " cached " (*. e. concealed) in the snow, for winter use. From 

 the skins of the old seals the arctic natives make their summer clothing, 

 while undergarments are fashioned from those of the young netsick. 

 Children often wear entire suits of the white skins of the baby seals in 

 their first fuzzy coat. With the flesh and skins of the netsick, too, the 

 Eskimo travels southward to the Danish settlements, and trades for such 

 civilized articles as he is able to buy. 



