Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/46

Rh yet high raised, looking at the motley sight, and listening to the pandemonian sounds, which frightened it near unto death. On we went; but when the dogs were within a few paces only, the seal regained his senses, and down he went just in time to save his—blubber! Koojesse says that young seals are often captured by such procedure as this, but seldom old ones." On arriving near the base of French Head, a little the other side of it, we turned toward Chapell Inlet, intending to cross over the isthmus at its head. The channel by which we had first entered this inlet in the Rescue (August 21st, 1860) was now full of hummocks; we therefore crossed over a neck of land perhaps half a mile wide, covered with submerged ice. The floating qualities of the sledge, as well as of the load, including ourselves, made our passage by water rapid, though not very comfortable. We crossed this "pass"—used frequently by the Innuits and the ship's crew in going to and from Cape True—and entered the inlet. Here I found many portions of the ice covered with the melted snows, and in some places the sledge sank deep in the water, much to the annoyance of the dogs as well as of ourselves.

On the way Koojesse again had "talk" with some more seals which we saw, and it was with great interest I watched him. He lay down on one side, and crawled by hitches or jerks toward his victim; then, as the seal raised its head, Koojesse would stop, and commence pawing with his right hand and foot while he uttered his "seal-talk." On this the seal would feel a charm, raise and shake its flippers both "fore and aft," and roll over on its side and back, as if perfectly delighted, after which it would drop its head to sleep; then Koojesse would hitch, hitch along, till the seal's head would pop up again, which usually occurred every few moments. But Koojesse approached too near, and this broke the charm, allowing the seal to escape, and leaving the disappointed sealer to cry, "E-e-e-ŭk!" The great trouble with the Innuits in this mode of sealing