218 THE OCEAN. 



sion. The system of extermination was practised, 

 liowever, at South Shetkmd ; for whenever a Seal 

 reached the beach, of whatever denomination, he was 

 immediately killed, and his skin taken ; and by this 

 means, at the end of the second year, the animals 

 became nearly extinct ; the young, liaving lost tlieii: 

 mothers wdien only three or four days old, of course 

 all died, which, at the lowest calculation, exceeded 

 100,000."* 



Other species of Otaries, which frequent these 

 seas, have large heads, clothed with long shaggy hair, 

 which, falling down on the neck, assumes the ap- 

 pearance of a mane, and hence they are frequently 

 called Sea-lions. Of some of these animals which 

 Captain Cook met with, he says, " It is 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 any- 

 thing, they would come down in such numbers, that 

 if you could not get out of their way, you would be 

 run over. When we came suddenly upon them, or 

 waked them out of their sleep (for they are sluggish, 

 sleepy animals), they would raise up their heads, 

 snort or snarl, and look fierce, as if they meant to 

 devour us ; but as we advanced upon them, they 

 always ran away, so that they are downright bullies." 

 Like the Sea-elephant, however, they are quarrelsome 

 among themselves. They often seize each other with 

 a degree of rage which is not to be described; and 

 many of them are seen with deep gashes on their 

 backs, which they had received in these wars. Others 



• \\'edcleira Voyage, p. 141. 



