SECOND VOYAGE 199 



nothing was wanting but a good harbour to make this a 

 tolerable place for ships to refresh at, which -chance or design 

 might bring hither, Mr. Gilbert went over to Staten Land 

 in the cutter, to look for a good harbour. The Captain also 

 sent two other boats, which returned laden with sea-lions, 

 sea-bears, etc. The old lions and bears were killed chiefly 

 for the sake of their blubber, or fat, to make oil of ; for, 

 except their haslets, which were tolerable, the flesh was too 

 rank to be eaten with any degree of relish. But the young 

 cubs were very palatable ; and even the flesh of some of 

 the old lionesses was not much amiss. 



About ten o'clock, Mr. Gilbert returned from Staten 

 Land, where he found a good port, situated three leagues to 

 the westward of Cape St. John. It is almost two miles in 

 length ; in some places near a mile broad. On the island 

 were sea-lions and seals, and such an innumerable quantity 

 of gulls, as to darken the air when disturbed, and almost to 

 suffocate the people with their dung. This they seemed to 

 void in a way of defence, and it stunk worse than assa- 

 fcetida. The day on which this port was discovered, 

 occasioned the Captain's calling it New-year's Harbour. 



The sea-lions found here, says Captain Cook, are not of 

 that kind described, under the same name, by Lord Anson ; 

 but these would more properly deserve that appellation ; 

 the long hair with which the back of the head, the neck, and 

 shoulders are covered, giving them greatly the air and 

 appearance of a lion. The female is not half so big as the 

 male, and is covered with a short hair, of an ash, or light 

 dun colour. They live, as it were, in herds, on the rocks, 

 and near the sea-shore. As this was the time for engendering 

 as well as bringing forth their young, they saw a male 

 with twenty or thirty females about him, and always very 

 attentive to keep them all to himself, and beating off every 

 other male who attempted to come into his flock. Others 

 again had a less number ; some no more than one or two. 



The sea-bears are not so large, by far, as the lions, but 

 rather larger than a common seal. They have none of that 

 long hair which distinguishes the lion. Theirs is all of an 

 equal length, and finer than that of the lion, something like 

 an otter's, and the general colour is that of iron gray. 

 This is the kind which the French call sea-wolves, and the 

 English seals ; they are, however, different from the seals in 

 Europe and North America. The lions may, too, without 

 any great impropriety, be called overgrown seals ; for they 

 are all of the same species. It was not at all dangerous to 

 go among them ; for they either fled or lay still. The only 

 danger was in going between them and the sea ; for if they 

 took fright at anything, they would come down in such 



