214 



THE OCEAN. 



powerful tusks, and endowed with sufficient strength 

 to use them, the Sea Elephant is a most mild and 

 inoffensive creature, suffering the seamen not onlv to 

 walk among them uninjured, but even to bathe in 

 the midst of the herd when swimming, with perfect 

 impunity. In self-defence, however, or in defence 

 of their young, their resistance becomes formidable. 

 One of Anson's men having killed a young one, had 



s>J>^ 



ELEPHANT SEALS, FIGHTING. 



the cruelty and rashness to skin it in the presence of 

 its mother : but she, coming beliind him, got the 

 sailor's head into her mouth, and so scored and 

 notched his skull with her sharp teeth, that lie 

 died in a day or two afterwards. 



Among themselves, however, the males are accus- 

 tomed to fight at certain periods with great fcrr»- 



