232 SPORT m NORTH AMERICA. 



muzzle and of the head resembles, moreover, that of 

 the king of beasts. Here, however, the analogy- 

 ends ; for, like all their congeners, desinit in piscem is 

 the rule which governed their creation, and the lower 

 end is broad and powerful, and, comparatively 

 speaking, as dangerous as that of a shark. 



These poor lions (about the most inoffensive of all 

 the creatures that inhabit the depths of the ocean) 

 were sleeping soundly, and had not even set one of 

 their number to watch over the safety of the whole 

 community. 



Tucurora led the attack. We saw him leap on 

 shore at a bound, and strike over the head an enor- 

 mous sea-lion that happened to be nearest him. The 

 other Esquimaux followed the example of their chief, 

 and the slaughter commenced forthwith, Tevis and 

 myself holding our own with the best, — such is the 

 force of example. 



The slaughtered seals were heaped up on the mar- 

 gin of the water, and made, as it were, a kind of wall 

 to prevent the escape of the others. The seals were 

 thus quite hemmed in, and had no means of escaping 

 from the murderous blows of the Esquimaux. The 

 sea-lion, like the deer, weeps when he is about to be 

 killed, and the cries of these poor brutes more than 

 once stayed the arms of Tevis and myself. The Es- 

 quimaux, however, were less scrupulous. They struck 

 without mercy to the right and to the left, and every 

 blow was a mortal one. In less than half-an-hour 



