A SEAL'S IGLOO'. 



507 



lowed the seal to re-enter the igloo where it had been caught. As 

 this was something new and interesting to me, I intently watched 

 what followed. The seal was perhaps two or three weeks old, 

 and, like all young seals, was white, though not as white as un- 

 tainted snow. While Koojesse kept hold of the line, four or five 

 fathoms long, the seal worked itself hastily back into the igloo, its 

 birthplace, and there made a plunge down the seal-hole into the 

 sea. Koojesse allowed it the whole play of his line, crawling into 

 the igloo, taking the seal-hook with him, and waiting patiently 

 for the parent seal to come up. I was close by him, there being 

 just sufficient room through the opening made when the young 

 seal was caught for me to push myself in. There, lying flat down, 

 we both carefully watched. In three or four minutes the young 

 seal returned, popping up its round, shining head, and blowing or 

 puffing like a whale, though on a reduced scale, its large eyes 

 glistening like lights from twinkling stars. It came directly to 

 its bed-place where we reclined. As it attempted to crawl up, 

 Koojesse gave it a stroke on the head, signifying "Go away — 

 dive down — show to your mother that you, the darling of her af- 

 fections, are in trouble, and when she comes to your aid I'll hook 

 her too." The two women were now close by us, each with a 

 seal-dog, and while thus waiting I had a good opportunity for in- 

 specting a seal's igloo. It was a model of those which the Innuits 

 make for themselves, and was completely dome-shaped. It was 

 five feet or so in diameter, and two and a half feet high, with a 

 depth of snow above it of some five feet. The platform of sea- 

 ice was where the parent seal gave birth to its young, and after- 

 ward nursed it. On one side was the seal-hole, filled with sea- 

 water, which was within two inches of the top of the platform. 



After waiting some time, and finding that the old seal would 

 not show itself, the young one was withdrawn and placed on the 

 snow. Then Koojesse put his foot upon its back, between the 

 fore-arms or flippers, and pressed with all his weight, the object 

 being to kill the seal by stopping its breath. Innuits adopt this 

 mode in preference to using knife or spear. It prevents the loss 

 of what is to them the precious portion — the blood. 



On returning to our encampment, we found that the dogs had 

 made sad havoc with our walrus meat and blubber, and other' 

 things in general. However, as it could not now be helped, 

 we put up with it. Our supper that night was blessed cold 

 water, chunks of cold pemmican, and raw frozen walrus meat. 



