SEA-LIONS OR SEALS. 31 



Many of them have been brought to Europe, and have 

 contributed to the delight of the visitors to the Zoological 

 Gardens, especially at feeding hours ; but, unfortunately, they 

 cannot live very long when taken away from their native 

 countries. 



They are always found on rocky shores of uninhabited 

 coasts or islands, and may be seen creeping up on the rocks 

 to feed their young and bask themselves in the sun. They 

 never eat their food on land, but always in the water. They 

 are splendid swimmers, and no fish can escape them. 



In the arctic regions, in fine weather, they prefer the ice 

 to the water, and vast herds of them are frequently found 

 lying on the field-ice. Here is where these poor animals are 

 attacked by the sealers and killed in vast numbers. They are 

 polygamous animals, each male having three or four females. 

 They generally have a layer of fat which affords a good deal 

 of oil, with which the Esquimaux delect themselves. In fact 

 this animal is of the utmost importance to these people, it 

 gives them light, food, and clothing. They make bags with 

 the skins of the larger species, which they sew well all around 

 and distend with air. Half a dozen of these bags they lay 

 upon rushes of straw, attach them with ropes, and make them 

 into small rafts, upon which they embark for long voyages. 

 Arranged in that way they never sink. The flesh is used by 

 them as food, the fat is partly dressed for eating and partly 

 consumed in their lamps, and the liver fried is considered by 

 them as a very agreeable dish. The skin is dressed by a 

 process peculiar to them, so as to be waterproof. With the 

 hair off, it is used as coverings for their boats and as outer 

 garments. So equipped they can invert themselves and their 

 canoes in the water without getting their bodies wet. 



As everyone knows, the seal fishery is of considerable 

 importance to all the world, and more especially to Russia, 

 England, and the United States, and lately special measures 

 have been taken by these countries for the protection of these 

 valuable animals. The actual value of a fine skin is about 

 20. After the silvery fox, which fetches as much as /,8o 

 per skin, it is the most valuable fur, and it is of the utmost 

 importance to edict stringent rules for its preservation. 



At 10 p.m., on the i.^th of August, which was a Friday, 

 and the day of the Assumption, we sighted the bay of San 

 Francisco. Another twelve sails of distinct nationalities w r ere 

 also on their route for that port. In entering the mouth of 

 the harbour which is rather narrow, we saw several wrecks, 



