SEAL-SHOOTING. 69 



After a sultry fortnight towards the end of June, I noted 

 with the telescope a flock of seals ranged like sheep along the 

 centre rock of the group. A short time before, a new (Henry) 

 rifle had been forwarded ; what an opportunity to handsel it ! 

 The boatman was summoned, the rifle unpacked and loaded, 

 without even a pluff of powder to spoil Mr Henry's " luck." 

 A high rock of the nearest islet, where I landed, screened us 

 from the herd, but they were beyond rifle-range, and there was 

 no possibility of a closer approach. My tactics were soon 

 fixed. Taking post under a rock close to the sea, I made the 

 man unmuffle the oars, and, keeping out of view, to pull away 

 with as much noise and bustle as he could. The success of 

 this manoeuvre depended entirely on rousing the inquisitive- 

 ness of the sleepers. No sooner was the sound of the oars 

 heard so near than the whole troop wriggled into the water, 

 and two of the largest sailed past my rock at 80 yards' dis- 

 tance, peering curiously round for a sight of the boat. Select- 

 ing the moment when his poll was my target, I fired, and one 

 of the monsters lay stretched on the sea. My second barrel 

 was ready for his companion, which of course had dived, but 

 Ms curiosity being satisfied, he never reappeared. The boat- 

 man obeyed my signal at his utmost speed, and all but upset 

 the coble in dragging the seal on board. It was a male, and 

 weighed 9 stone. 



The weather continuing calm and warm, the same shoal a 

 few days after settled on one of the further rocks; but the 

 look-out was too open to permit of our cheating them again, 

 so there was nothing to be done but raise the long sight. I 

 fired at three in line, and must have hit a pair of them, for we 

 traced two tracks of blood to the sea, entering it from opposite 

 sides of the rock. The surface was also covered with their 

 fur, but the water was far too deep to allow any hope of de- 

 tecting them at the bottom if dead. 



The seals were now getting shy of these rocks, but a burn- 

 ing day again enticed them to try a siesta : this time, however, 



