453 



THE POLAR WORLD. 



SPEAKING THROUGH THE SNOW. 



the second or third puff, he knows that the nose of the seal is at the bottom of 

 the breathing-hole, perhaps two yards below the spot where he is standing. 

 The spear must be thrust with perfect accuracy ; for an error of a quarter of an 

 inch on either side would miss the hole, and the spear-point would strike the 



