THE PROBOSCIS-SEAL, OK SEA-ELEPHANT. 1/1 



" In the midst of the stormy oceans they inhabit, the pro- 

 boscis-seals have also other accidents to dread than diseases 

 and old age. Sometimes, surprised by storms, and borne 

 away by the currents and the waves, they are driven against 

 the rocks and dashed to pieces. I myself witnessed, on that 

 terrible night when our vessel lost its anchors and its long- 

 boat, and was so nearly wrecked, two of these animals beaten 

 to pieces upon the masses of granite which formed Point 

 Plumier in Elephant's Bay. Other perils await them in the 

 depths of the sea; sometimes, say the fishermen, we see 

 them unexpectedly rise with every symptom of alarm from 

 the bosom of the ocean, often covered with enormous wounds, 

 and staining the sea with their blood ; their terror, and these 

 wounds, prove that they have been pursued by one or more 

 redoubtable enemies. What should be these terrible adver- 

 saries ? The fishermen agree unanimously that no animal 

 they know could inflict wounds of such magnitude and depth; 

 they only presume that these monsters inhabit the depths of 

 the sea far from the coasts, but have never found a trace of 

 them : they add, that it is without doubt to preserve their 

 young that the proboscis-seals take such pains to prevent 

 them wandering too far, or diving too deep, as we have before 

 observed. 



" A much more terrible enemy awaits these animals on land, 

 — it is man. We have had occasion to remark that some in- 

 dividuals are carried by currents, or driven by storms, upon 

 the continent of New Holland, or Van Diemen's Land. No 

 sooner do the savages of these regions discover one of these 

 creatures, than they surround it : in vain it strives to regain 

 the sea; all retreat is cut off; the savages, armed with long 

 staves of wood, lighted at one end, assault the unfortunate 

 castaway : no sooner does he open his mouth to menace 

 them with the only arms Nature has given him, than they 

 thrust together down his throat many of these burning torches. 

 The amphibious giant utters loud groans, agitates with vio- 

 lence his enormous frame, and quickly expires, suffocated by 

 the painfully arrested respiration. Then the cries of joy 

 arise on all sides, the ferocious victors collect around their 

 victim ; they tear him up in all directions, and every one eats, 

 sleeps, awakes, and eats and sleeps again. This abundance 

 attracts and unites together tribes which ordinarily are the 

 most hostile to each other, and their hatred then seems extin- 

 guished ; but by the time the last decomposing remnants of 

 their prey have been devoured, their resentments revive, and 

 murderous combats ordinarily close these disgusting orgies. 

 Some years ago, in the neighbourhood of Port Jackson, a scene 

 of this nature took place amongst the savages of the County 



