334 
SEAL. 
near them without being perceived. They had 
previously fastened their boat to the little island of 
ice which they disembarked upon ; but while they 
were busily engaged in the pursuit, a gust of wind 
tore it away ; and meeting with other shoals, it was 
broken to pieces, and in a few minutes entirely dis- 
appeared. The hunters were aware of their danger 
only when it was too late. They were now left 
without help, without any resource, and without 
even a ray of hope, on their floating island. They 
remained two weeks on this frail territory. The 
heat which diminished its bulk, and also its promi- 
nent surface, rendered their situation more alarming 
every moment. After having suffered the extreme 
anguish of hunger, till their patience was exhausted, 
they came to the resolution of plunging together 
into the sea, and thus ending their misery with their 
lives. At this critical moment they discovered a 
sail ; one of them stripped off his shirt, and sus- 
pended it on the muzzle of his gun. The signal 
was observed from the vessel, which was a whale 
fisher. A boat was sent to their assistance, and by 
this providential circumstance they were saved from 
otherwise inevitable destruction. 
The Kamtschatkans sometimes take a hundred 
seals at a time, by placing two or three strong nets 
across one of the rivers frequented by these animals. 
After the nets are properly placed, the seals are 
frightened into them by a number of people in ca- 
noes, who row up and down the river making as 
much noise as they possibly can. As soon as they 
