Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-03-17
Seal Hunting.

1.-The strange infidel, the like of whom
has neither been seen, read. nor heard tel.
Off what stout Martin Frobisher wrote
of the Esquimau. But the Esquimau is
well fitted by nature for life in the frozen
regions of the north. His wants fare few
and he displays the utmost ingenuity in
supplying them. His principal business
is seal catching. The seal supplies him
with meat and warm skins and train oil.
The seal is Il curious, shy beast, and seems
TO know what a treasure he is to the
E,ouimau. for he keeps Il sharp lookout rs
lie lies on the ice. generally by the waters
edge, OF near IL hole into which he can
plunge ut the least alarm.
The Esqulmau in his kayak, or canoe
harpoons the rseal. The kayak he Uses
is /; most ingenious continuance. 1t is
shaped like Il weaver's shuttle-pointed at
both ends-and built on Il framework of
whalenone or wood. covered completely
over. with the exception Of Il hole in which
the ESquimau seats himself, with seal skin.
with the hair off, and carefully prepared
for that purpose. The hunter takes his
seat in this fragile canoe. clad in II water
proof Jacket made of seal skin, or of the
whales intcstinc>. buttons this jacket down
W tll.tl IO WV N'h AhS P'Ro oH liz
water proof mittens, takes hold of the
double paddle by the middle, and looks
almost Il part of the kuyuk. The craft is
often ornamental with a knob of w;lrus
ivory at the end, and sheatlled with run
ners of bone. The whole is exceedingly
elegant and light In straps in front are
fastened the spears, knives, etc; in rear
are the stand for the line nicely coiled up.
and the inflated seal skin, or "drog,"
whose use we will describe.
The harpoon with which the hunter
strikes the seal is fitted into Il shaft, made
usually of wood. This shaft, which is
seven or eight feet in length, is only used
A soon is the animal is struck, the shaft
falls out, and is picked up by the hunter as
it floats on the surface, while the little har-
poon point remains in the seals body, at
tached to Il long line of carefully prepared
seal skin. whose other end is tied TO the
drog. The drog marks where the animal
is when he dives under the water; but AS
the seal must come to the surface to breathe
and soon gets tired, the hunter follows it
up in his klyk, spearing whenever he has
an opportunity. until at length it is killed.
He then coils his line anew ON the stand,
:lnu proceeds rs before.
No water can enter the ESquimau's
kdY0h, and rs the canoe man paddles. pro-
polling and s,eadying the kdyak with al
tcrnate strokes OF the long double paddle,
the sea may dash over him with impunity.
He rides %buoyantly on the surface of the
waves, often with 4 seal fastened on each
side. If the spray freezing on the sides
of the ktYlk incommodtteS him, he
scrapcS il oft with Il blunt bone knife
which he carries III the strap, in front OF
him. He can ever overturn the kdyak
and right it again; bui not ~unfrequentlv
the ice cuts holes in it, when the fate Of the
buttonc in hryaktr i death by drowning.
for no Esquimau ever learns 20 swim. II
spaces of open wafer, he forces the canoe
on the ice. gets out of it. and carries it on
his head until he can again launch it upon
tie open water.
The seal which the E~quimau is in the
habit of htrpooning is known as the crest
ed seal (>'DnHuttopuS cristdtuS.J The crest
IS descrihc1b by Cltpmuitz is athick. folde,
skin. which it en- draw down over It's ewes
Ike Il cap. to defend them against tn,
waves, stones and sand. This crest is pc
culiar to the adult male of the species.
Seals when frightened or hurt givea cry
lust like a timid child. 1t is said that they
are fond of music. Sometimes when they
are concealed in their holes under the ic,
the hunter will $ cal to the hiding place
and set up y low whistle, and when Il sea,
comes up to listen it is easily dispatched
by y blow on the nose by a seal-club.