THE CASTAWAYS ON THE AUCKLAND. 225 



he has shown that besides the English voyagers, the French Expedition in the Astrolabe (1826-29), 

 and Captain Thomas Musgrave (of whom I shall say something immediately), obtained it at the 

 Aucklands. Moreover, the French, in their last Transit of Venus Expedition to Campbell Islands 

 there met with it, and Mr. Clark identified it with a sub-fossil form found by Dr. Hector on 

 the coast of New Zealand. 



The original specimens of this Hair Seal in the British Museum are throughout of a darkish grey, 

 inclining to yellow, or yellowish-brown, and what appears to be the male is about five feet long, while 

 the female is smaller and yellower in colour. 



The little that we know of the habits of this creature is chiefly derived from Captain Musgrave's 

 extraordinary narrative, " Castaway on the Auckland Islands." In 1863, the schooner Grafton, of 

 Sydney, was wrecked on the islands in question, where captain and crew were condemned to reside for 

 twenty months. His journal of their sufferings on these desolate rocks was written in Seal's blood, 

 and the editor of the gallanb captain's narrative appropriately quotes worthy old Richard Hakluyt's 

 words : " How shall I admire your heroicke courage, ye marine worthies beyond all names of 

 worthinesse ! " 



Before the distressed seamen had been a week on shore, the captain notes " that the Seals are 

 very numerous here, and go roaring about the woods like wild cattle ; indeed, we expect they will 

 come and storm the tent some night." They found the sucklings delicious eating, exactly like 

 lamb, but the flesh of the old males was rejected. Indeed, stewed, boiled, or roasted Seal's flesh 

 and liver, with roots fried in oil, and occasionally mussels and fish, constituted dainties ; for it 

 happened at times they were driven to extremities for lack of fare. For a while a few crumbs of 

 biscuit were regularly laid on the table, but only to look at, " or point at," as Paddy would say. On 

 a single occasion they obtained the milk of a slain female, which they considered to be rich and good, 

 and superior to Goats' milk. Needful of clothing, blankets, and shoes, by a rude manipulation with lye 

 of ashes, drying and rubbing, and by tanning with bark, the skins were thus rendered available. 

 Seals' tracks were found at the top of a mountain four miles from the water. They run fast in the 

 bush, and where it is thick have an advantage over men, even climbing rocky cliffs and steep slippery 

 banks almost inaccessible to the latter. Captain Musgrave believes their sense of smell to be very keen, 

 but neither hearing nor sight acute on land. The old " bulls " have long, coarse, almost bristly fur on 

 their neck and shoulders, which ruffles up when attacked, and this, with their great teeth, gives them, 

 rather a formidable leonine appearance. These "bulls" are savage, and so fierce that caution is required 

 in facing them ; they even are so bold as to leave the water and chase a man. One great and very 

 old dark-coloured fellow, " king of a mob," was christened " Royal Tom," whose daring and dignity 

 would barely allow him to move off when driven hard. On board the vessel which rescued the 

 castaway survivors was a very large courageous Dog, which would fasten on the Otaries, but 

 get dreadfully torn, and was no match in point of strength. Their tenacity of life is extraordinary. 

 For instance, one received two bullets, had its head split open with an axe, and brain hanging out, 

 but nevertheless dragged along the beach the men who were trying to keep him out of the water by- 

 hanging on his hind flippers. The males arrive in October, fat, choose ground, fight furiously, and 

 remain until the end of February. The females go with young about eleven months, and bear a 

 single offspring in February ; but previous to parturition, in December and January, the smaller 

 timid females wander in the bush bellowing in a dismal manner. The new-born young are black, 

 become greyer after a few weeks, and when older brownish, the adult colouring following. Musgrave 

 recounts the amusing manner in which the mother coaxes the young towards the water, which at first 

 it is averse to enter, and she often displays ingenuity in getting it in. She puts it on her back, swims 

 along gently, while the little bleating fellow slips or splutters off into the sea ; the mother again gets 

 underneath, or even becoming angry, gives it a cruel bite or slap with flipper. Ultimately, after such 

 drilling, the youngsters take to the water of their own accord, and paddle about or play on shore in 

 groups. There is a periodical migration of these Hooker's Sea Bears, but it is not so regular as in 

 some other species, several remaining in the same quarters all the year round. They shift their 

 camp, though, in the bays, and sleep ashore only at night. When in the water Captain Musgrave 

 assures us their speed is very great, not exceeding twenty miles an hour, and they have a most 

 extraordinary power of arresting their progress instantaneously. 

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