294 Life in the Open 



some swimming beneath the boat, joining a herd beyond 

 the entrance, when they swam away to Point Diablo, with 

 necks out of water, hurling at us literal yelps of fear and 

 rage. The story is told of two boatloads of men who 

 went in here to capture sea-lions. One boat remained 

 at the entrance to keep them in, while the other went 

 into the cave. As a result the lions rushed at the 

 opening and, finding it stopped, clambered into and 

 over the boat, sinking it and injuring some of the men. 



At the present time the place where sea-lions are 

 mostly caught is on the south-west side of the island, 

 where the sea often makes a breach against the high 

 cliffs. In an isolated cleft of the rocks is a large 

 rookery impossible to reach in rough water, but so 

 situated that the herd cannot well escape when the men 

 go ashore. The latter are skilled cattlemen, who go 

 over on a power launch, anchor off the island, and wait 

 for a day when the lions are all on the rocks. Then 

 the boats work carefully in, watching their chance, the 

 rowers backing water and holding the boat on the big 

 waves until the sea-lion hunters have an opportunity to 

 jump ashore. Generally two or three men make the 

 attempt at one time, and drive the lions back for some 

 distance into a cul de sac. 



When the animals find they are cornered, they 

 turn and charge the men, and it requires no little nerve 

 to stand and face the open mouths of the roaring an- 

 imals, which come on with a curious galloping, mena- 

 cing motion. It is at this psychological moment that 



