ELEPHANT SEAL. 225 



narrative. Our limits forbid our offering any reflec- 

 tions ; nor can we do more than barely refer to some 

 interesting notices respecting this Seal which may 

 be found in Anson's Voyages. Pernetty's observa- 

 tions are so curious that we cannot wholly omit them. 

 " When you penetrate," he observes, " the thickets of 

 brushwood to which they retire, and in which they 

 form their lairs, you find them almost always asleep 

 upon the dry leaves. At first I had no adequate 

 conception of their prodigious size. When at the 

 distance of about a thousand yards they looked like 

 little mountains, and it was only on coming close 

 that I formed a correct idea of them. After minutely 

 examining one, M. de St Simon led me to the bank 

 of a brook overgrown with reeds and rushes. On 

 entering, he immediately shot one about the size of 

 a stout calf. Sounds instantly assailed us on all 

 sides, like the grunting of hogs, the bellowing of 

 bulls, the roaring of lions, and the deepest notes of 

 a great organ. We were so astounded that we 

 hesitated to proceed; but being satisfied that all 

 the cries issued from these same animals, and that 

 they might be approached without risk, provided 

 you did not go too near, we penetrated among the 

 reeds. About thirty appeared, lying about, some- 

 times two or three in the same trough. M. St 

 Simon shot eleven of them. Those which were not 

 wounded remained quietly in their lairs, without 

 exhibiting either fear or fury. The smallest we 

 killed were between fifteen and sixteen feet in 



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