198 BERING ISLAND. [chap. 



as an example of brotherly love, but the etiect produced by the 

 appearance of the fair sex upon the scene can be imagined. They 

 have been long expected, and the position of their future lords 

 and masters having by this time been pretty well settled, the 

 rookery has relapsed into a somewhat more peaceable condition. 

 But with the advent of the cows, who, poor things, have but a 

 sorry time of it, all is changed, and the fighting again commences 

 with redoubled ardour. The fortunate annuals who have secured 

 the positions next the sea have, of course, the first choice as the 

 new arrivals " haul up " upon the beach, and they waste no time over 

 the matter. The bull seal has as little romance about him as a last 

 year's " Bradshaw," and he does not idle away his hours in sighing 

 at his mistress's feet. Should any cow come within reach he seizes 

 her by the scruff of the neck, and having deposited her within his 

 " claim," at once turns his attention to the annexation of another. 

 Meanwhile perhaps his neighbour, struck with admiration at the 

 graceful proportions of the bride, has quietly transferred her to liis 

 own harem while her husband's back is turned, and a pitched 

 battle ensues upon the injured bridegroom's discovery of his loss, 

 during which the unfortunate cow for whose possession they are 

 fighting is either seized upon by a third party, or gets severely 

 mauled by the combatants. ]\Ir. Elliott relates a case witnessed by 

 himself, in which the disputed fair one, while tugged in opposite 

 directions by her admirers, had the skin completely torn off her 

 back to the extent of a foot or more. These injuries are borne by 

 the sufferers without a groan, and apparently heal with great 

 rapidity. 



Before long the cows have all landed ; the attitude of the bulls 

 towards each other becomes more peaceable, and their domestic 

 arrangements more settled. The nunil;)er of wives with which each 

 is eventually provided varies very much, and depends chiefly upon 

 the position and strength of the master of the harem. Mr. Elliott 

 tells us that he has known of one unhappy individual who guarded 

 as many as forty-five ; but such instances are rare, and from twelve 



