proceedings, without alarming the animal they were in pursuit of.  The other seven Esquimaux, now forming one party, disposed themselves into a single line, so as to make as small an appearance as possible in the direction in which they were going, and in this manner crept very cautiously towards the margin of the floe.  On a sudden they all stooped down quite low to hide themselves, and continued thus a quarter of an hour, during which time they prepared their lines and spears; and then, when the animal appeared to be intercepted from their view, again took the opportunity of gaining a few paces upon him, in the same cautious manner as before.  When they had been thus occupied for a full hour, alternately creeping and stooping down, the seal, which had been lying on the ice, took the water, and they then gave up their chase.  During this time, Okotook could scarcely restrain his impatience to be nearer the scene of action; and when we produced a spyglass, which appeared to bring his companions close to us, he had not words to express his surprise and satisfaction.  In a short time he held it as steadily as we did, and explained by signs every motion he observed.

As soon as they had given up the seal they had been watching, the whole party seemed with one accord to turn their steps homeward, in which direction, being that of the ships also, we were by this time not sorry to accompany them.  We were now between three and four miles northeast of the ships, and full a mile and a half from any part of the shore.  In the open water beyond the floe, the tide was running two knots to the northward, and as the ice on which we stood had been formed only within the last fortnight, and a sheet as substantial as this had before been carried away by the stream it was impossible not to feel some apprehension lest we might thus be detached from the shore, an accident that has been known to happen to Esquimaux ere now,[*] and has probably more frequently befallen them, when none have survived to tell the tale.

[Footnote:  Crantz, London edition, 1820, Appendix, p. 310.]

As we returned towards the land, we came to a small rising on the level surface of the floe not larger than a common molehill, and of much the same shape, at which one of the Esquimaux immediately stopped.  His companions, still walking on, called us away, explaining that what we saw was the work of a seal, and that it was probable the animal was about to complete his hole and to come up on the ice, in which case the man would endeavour to kill him.  We watched the man at the hole, however, with a glass, for more than half an hour, observing him constantly putting his head down towards the ice, as if in the act of listening for the seal, but without otherwise changing his position; after which he followed us on board without success.