110 
A VOYAGE TO SPITZBEBGEN. 
gradually subside into a restless sleep, disturbed by 
the thought of hungry bears, ever oil the watch for 
food, or the still more merciless seal-fisher, their 
more deadly foe. Now a small family party are 
seen to approach the ice, and after some preliminary 
investigations, they proceed to land. In a 'few 
minutes they are evidently in full enjoyment of 
their temporary rest; they lie stretched in the sun. 
A boat is lowered with great circumspection, and 
after a time the rapid report of fire-arms tells plainly 
that the seal-hunting has commenced in earnest— 
the fog is too heavy to enable us to see with what 
result; but the other boats are soon ready, and, 
taking with us a compass to find the bearings of 
the ship, which is only seen occasionally as the fog 
lifts for a moment, we push off in the direction of 
the firing party. A bullet whizzes over our heads 
in dangerous proximity as we pull up, warning us that 
the sport is not without its dangers. All is excite¬ 
ment now, and we sit prepared for action. There ! 
the great head of a seal rises above the water close to 
the boat. We fire, and miss what might seem an easy 
chance; but the motion of the boat, always uncertain, 
renders the shooting of one not expert by practice, 
anything but reliable. Now the boat is surrounded 
with the seals, all eagerly gazing at the hunter, but 
