The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-11-30
HUNTING The SEAL.


The Eskimo sfiays waiting eane ano |
Gets the Quarry.
Although the little ringed seal, or
Fiord seal. contemptuously called the
Zoe rat by English sailors. is the
smallest Of all our species, it is also the
most cnterprising. In the cold waters
Of the north IL goes simply every
where. Throughout tens Of thousands
Of square miles Of cold and stormy wa
tiers. broken and chaotic ice-peaks, and
barren hoe-ce seven feet thick, the |
jolly little "Netsick" is the principal
inhabitant. ready 10 yield his chubby |
body to any hungry Eskimo who hap
pens To need IL.
Taken altogether this animal is TO
the EslSimos generally the most valua-
BILE source Of food and clothing OF all
the quairupeds of the north In rang
ing northward. all other seals stop
about on the cighty-hrst parallel, but
the ringcd seal cries "Excelsior."
and presses right on. Regardless
Of cold and other drawbacks, he
iovously paddles past Lady Frank
lin bay. out through Robcson channel.
and into the Polar sea itself which is
named after our greatest American,
north Of all land II was observed by
Gen Greely's party in latitude eighty
two degrees ifty-four minutes-only
thirty miles south ofthe farthest north
ever reached by man. What is more,
Gen Greedy says that they winter as
far north as Robson channel. though
he is puzzled To know how they main
tain breathing holes where the ice IS
so thick II seems 10 me. however
that with the temperature down 10
sixty degrees below zero. one lungful
of air ought To quite sufficient to last
any seal an entire winter.
The rin-ed seal is found in Behrlnp
sea. and throughout the Arctic ocean
in both hcmispheres. The largest in
dividuais are only about four feet in
length. and by reason Of its size,
this species is despised by the white
sealcrs-a very fortunate thing for
the Eskimos. In color it is extreme
ly variable. In collection OF fif-
teen fresh skins that once came into
my hands from Point Barrow, there
were three we'll defined types--one al
most black, anot her dark. mot tied with
light. and a third almost yellow. All
showed the curious browni~h-yellow
rings With darker centers from which
the species takes its popular name.
This is the seal which the Eskimo
hunts by simply playing waiting
game, in which patience Is his most
powerful weapon. He seeks over the
solid ice-foc lntil he finds little
round hole running down through the
ice quite to the water. be it two feet OF
six. That is the breathing hole OF q
seal. which the creature has kept oper
with its warm breath ever since tho
ice began TO form. Mr.. Eskimo
simply camps on the ice beside
the hole. and shivers and waits
lie II one hour or fifteen. lie wait
for Mr.. seal to come aud stick his nos
into the bottom OF the hole, to give an'
take some air. When he does SO. tn
Eskimo promptly jabs spear dowi
through the hole. into the head of TIN
seal. III il catches the animal an'
hold, him fast. all the native has to d.
i, to chop through about five feet o
solid ice to get ii.
This seal is the first aquatic ANNA
that Eskimo children arc taught Z
Kill. and when sevcn-year-old Eskim
Johnnie kills his first seal. the prou
father hangs the teeth and front fir
pers around his neck as trophie
his skill. II is said. also, tina
in their eagcrness to have thei
children make record" mott
ers sometimes catch seals on tn
sly and allow their little children
kill them. To add to their individu;
scorcs.-W. Il. Hornaday, in St Mel
olas