SEA-BEAR OF FORSTER. 263 



that assigned them by Steller. They are, however, 

 far inferior to the Sea- Lions, the males being never 

 above eight or nine feet long, and thick in propor- 

 tion. Their hair is dark brown, sprinkled with 

 grey, and much longer on the whole body than that 

 of the Sea- Lion, but it does not form a mane. The 

 general outline of the body, and the shape of the 

 fins, are exactly the same. They were, more fierce 

 towards us, and their females commonly died in de- 

 fence of their young. We observed that these Sea- 

 Bears and the Lions, though sometimes encamped 

 on the same beach, always kept wide asunder, and 

 had no communication with each other. A strong 

 stench is common to them, and to all other Seals, a 

 circumstance well known to the ancients, as well as 

 their inactivity and drowsiness, and hence Homer 



Web-footed Seals forsake the stormy swell, 

 And sleep in herds, exhaling nauseous smell. 



" Dr Sparman and myself were near being attack- 

 ed by one of the oldest Sea- Bears on a cliff where 

 several hundreds were assembled, and where all 

 seemed to wait the issue of the fight. The doctor 

 had discharged his musket at a bird, and was going 

 to pick it up, when this old Bear growled and 

 snarled, and seemed ready to oppose him. As soon 

 as I was near enough I shot the surly creature dead ; 

 and at that instant the whole herd, seeing their 

 champion fallen, hurried to the sea ; and many of 

 them hobbled along with such precipitation, as to 

 leap down between forty and fifty perpendicular feet 



