CATCHING SEALS. 
109 
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suffocated, as it can no longer come to the surface to breathe. 
In winter the seal is taken partly with nets in “ leads among 
the ice, partly with the harpoon when it crawls out of its hole ; 
it is also taken by means of a noose of thongs placed over its 
hole. In order to avoid the loss of the valuable seal-blood, 
which is considered an extraordinary delicacy by the Chukches, 
the animal is never killed by an edged tool, if that can be 
avoided, but by repeated blows on the head. The bear is killed 
by the lance or knife, the latter, according to the statement of a 
Ghukch, being the surest weapon; the walrus and the largest 
kind of seals with the harpoon (fig. 1, p. 105), or a lance 
resembling the Greenlander s. Even the whale is harpooned, 
but with a harpoon considerably larger than the common, and 
to which as many as six inflated seal-skins are fastened. In 
order to kill a whale a great many such harpoons must be 
struck into it. Birds are taken in snares, or killed with bird- 
javelins, arrows, and slings. The last mentioned (fig. 3, p. 105) 
consist of a number of round balls of bone fastened to leather 
thongs, which are knotted together. Some feathers are often 
fixed to the knot in order to increase the resistance of the air to 
this part of the sling. When the sling is thrown the bone balls 
are thereby scattered in all directions, and the probability of 
hitting becomes greater. Every man and boy in summer carries 
with him such a sling, often bound round his head, and is 
immediately prepared to cast it at flocks of birds flying past. 
Common slings are also used, consisting of two thongs and a 
piece of skin fastened to them. The bird-dart (fig. 5, p. 105) 
completely resembles that used by the Eskimo. A kind of 
snare was used by the boys at Yinretlen to catch small birds 
for our zoologist. They were made of whalebone fibres. 
Fish are caught partly with nets, partly with the hook or with 
a sort of leister (fig. 6, p. 105). The nets are made of sinew- 
thread. I procured several of these, and was surprised at the 
small value which the natives set upon them, notwithstanding 
