HARPOON THEM MYSELF. 113 



a second of time too late. We managed to get 

 hold of three immense fellows. My harpooner 

 most culpahly missed his stroke at another, 

 as the boat shot past him while he lay floating 

 on the surface, and the iron " drew" out of a 

 fifth after he was fairly struck ; three of them 

 sank in water so shallow that we easily felt 

 the bottom with the harpoon, but it was so 

 muddy that we groped for them unavailingly 

 for some time. 



This was very annoying, and I felt so vexed 

 and disgusted at thus uselessly butchering 

 these poor animals, and strewing the muddy 

 bottom of Deeva Bay with their obese car- 

 cases, that I was on the point of giving it up, 

 when Christian suggested that if I would take 

 in hand to harpoon as well as shoot, and let him 

 add his strength to the rowing power, we 

 might do better, as the boat was so heavy that 

 it took the remaining men three or four 

 vigorous tugs before they got " way " on her. 

 This change was attended with the happiest 

 effects, the additional pair of oars made the 

 boat start much more readily, and I harpooned 

 and secured every seal — four in number — 

 which I shot, after we adopted the new 

 arrangement. I found it much easier to use 



