214 
SEAL HUNTING. 
each side of us, are now coated by a thick fihn of ice. 
In this the poor seals sometimes show themselves in 
groups of half a dozen. They no longer sport about 
as they did three weeks ago, but rise up to their breasts 
through young ice, and gaze around with curiosity- 
smitten countenances. 
" The shyness of the seal is proverbial. The Esqui- 
maux, trained from earliest youth to the pursuit of 
them, regard a successful hunter as the great man of 
the settlement. If not killed instantaneously, the seal 
sinks and is lost. The day before yesterday, I adopted 
the native plan of silent watching beside a pool. Thus 
for a long time I was exposed to a temperature of +8° ; 
but no shots within head-range offered ; and I knew 
that, unless the spinal column or base of the brain 
was entered by the ball, it would be useless to waste 
our already scanty ammunition. 
" To-day, however, I was more fortunate. A fine 
young seal rose about forty yards off, and I put the 
ball between the ear and eye. A boat was run over 
the ice, and the carcass secured. This is the second 
I have killed with this villainous carbine : it will be a 
valuable help to our sick. "We are now very fond of 
seal-meat. It is far better than bear; and the fishi- 
ness, which at first disturbed us, is no longer disagree- 
able. I simply skin them, retaining the blubber with 
the pelt. The cold soon renders them solid. My bear, 
although in a barrel, is as stiff and hard as horn. 
" Took a skate this morning over some lakelets re- 
cently frozen over. The ice was tenacious, but not 
strong enough for safety. As I was moving along over 
the ticMy -benders, my ice-pole drove a hole, and came 
very near dropping through into the water. 
^'■September 27. This evening the thermometer gave 
