nst a
hummock of ice, in which position he can withstand the very heavy strain
of the struggling animal.

Seals are taken in a less dangerous way, but one which requires very
great perseverance. As seals require to breathe, they have to make
holes in the ice for this purpose, and the Esquimaux watch for them as
they are thus employed. Immediately that a man discovers by listening
that a seal is working beneath the ice, he builds a snow-wall about four
feet in height to shelter him from the wind, and seating himself under
the lee of it, deposits his spear-lines and other implements upon
several little forked sticks inserted into the snow, to prevent the
slightest noise being made in moving them when wanted. He also ties his
own knees together with a thong, to prevent any rustling of his clothes.

To ascertain if the seal is still at work, he pierces through the ice
with a slender rod of bone with a knob at the end of it. If this is
moved, he knows that the animal is at work; if it remains quiet, he
knows that he has deserted the spot.

When the hole is nearly completed, the hunter lifts his spear with its
line attached; and as soon as the blowing of the seal is distinctly
heard, and the ice consequently very thin, he drives it into him with
the force of both arms, and then cuts away the remaining crust of ice to
enable him to repeat the wounds and to get him out. A man will thus
watch for hours together, with a temperature of 30 degrees below zero.

We were able to kill a good many with our guns at a distance as they lay
on the ice, when no one could have approached near them. Our sporting,
on the whole, was tolerably successful, for we killed a quantity of
ptarmigan, grouse, and other birds, besides several white hares. We
also killed several foxes and a quantity of wolves which came prowling
round our house, and would, I doubt not, have carried off any of our
dogs or provisions they could have got at.

Thus the winter passed away without any adventures particularly worth
recording. The sun was below the horizon for about six weeks; and
though only for a short period at a time, we gladly once more welcomed
the sight of his beams.

Our Esquimaux friends continued on very good terms with us; and with our
assistance they were always well supplied with food. Andrew took great
precautions about our health, and advised us to take daily some of the
pickles and preserved fruits we had discovered, to assist in kee