THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 219 



of the eared Seals are fierce and fearless towards man 

 himself. Woodes Rocrcrs describes one which he met 

 with at the Galapagos, which he calls a Sea-bear, 

 probably of a species {Otaria ursind) common in the 

 seas of which I am speaking. He says, "A very 

 large one made at me three several times ; and if 1 

 had not happened to have a pikestaff headed with 

 iron he miirht have killed me. I was on the level 

 sand when he came open-mouthed at me from the 

 water, as fierce and quick as an angry dog let loose. 

 All the three times he made at me, I struck the pike 

 into his breast, which at last forced him to retire into 

 the water, snarling with an ugly noise, and showing 

 Iiis long teeth." * 



Dividing the dominion of these inhospitable islands 

 with the Seals, may be seen myriads of Penguins ; 

 curious birds, which seem to be the link which 

 connects the feathered w4th the finny race. Their 

 little wings, destitute of quills, but covered with 

 stiff scaly feathers, hang down by their sides, per- 

 fectly incompetent to lift them from the ground, 

 resembling in shape the fins of a fish, or still more 

 the flippers of a turtle. But see the Penguin in 

 the w^ater ; the deficiency of flight is abundantly 

 compensated by the power and agility it possesses 

 in this element : it dashes along over the surface in 

 gallant style ; or diving, shoots through the water 

 with the rapidity of a fish, urging its course by 

 the united action of its finny wings and its broad 

 webbed feet ; then, coming again to the top, leaps 

 over any obstacle in its course, many feet at a bound, 

 • Kerr's Voyages, x. 374. 



