THE SEAL. 35 



one of these animals I believe the leading incidents of the 

 narrative to be perfectly authentic ; and it is a memorable record 

 of enduring attachment in the animal, and exquisite barbarity 

 in the man. The tale runs thus : 



" About forty years ago a young seal was taken in Clew 

 Bay, and domesticated in the kitchen of a gentleman, whose 

 house was situated on the sea- shore. It grew apace, became 

 familiar with the servants, and attached to the house and 

 family ; its habits were innocent and gentle ; it played with 

 the children, came at its master's call, and, as the old man 

 described him to me, was ' fond as a dog, and playful as a 

 kitten/ 



" Daily the seal went out to fish, and, after providing for 

 his own w r ants, frequently brought in a salmon or turbot to 

 his master. His delight in summer was to bask in the sun, 

 and in winter to lie before the fire, or, if permitted, creep into 

 the large oven, which at that time formed the regular appen- 

 dage of an Irish kitchen. 



" For four years the seal had been thus domesticated, when, 

 unfortunately, a disease, called in this country the crippawn 

 a kind of paralytic affection of the limbs, which generally 

 ends fatally attacked some black cattle belonging to the 

 master of the house ; some died, others became infected, and 

 the customary cure produced by changing them to drier 

 pasture failed. A wise woman was consulted, and the hag 

 assured the credulous owner, that the mortality among his 

 cows was occasioned by his retaining an unclean beast about 

 his habitation the harmless and amusing seal. It must be 

 made away with directly, or the crippawn would continue, 

 and her charms be unequal to avert the malady. The super- 

 stitious wretch consented to the hag's proposal ; and the seal 

 was put on board a boat, carried out beyond Clare Island, and 

 there committed to the deep, to manage for himself as he best 

 could. The boat returned, the family retired to rest, and 

 next morning a servant awakened her master to tell him that 

 the seal was quietly sleeping in the oven. The poor animal 



which occasion it afforded no small entertainment. When thrown into 



the water, it would follow for miles the track of the boat, and although 



' thrust back by the oars, it never relinquished its purpose; indeed, it 



. struggled so hard to regain its seat, that one would imagine its fond- 



' J ness for its master had entirely overcome the natural predilection for its 



native element. 



D 2 



