RELATING TO ANTARCTIC SEALING. 597 



about 40 or 50 skins. Years before the Englisb bad had the working of 

 Goughs Island, and had run the business out, so there were practically 

 no seal there. We put a gang on the Orozets, expecting to do well. 

 They staid there live months and took three seals. 



The English at Cape Town had recommended us to go there, because 

 they said that formerly they had takeu a great number of skins there. 

 We went to Kerguelen Island, and there I had charge of the sealing. 

 We staid about four months, and took 18 seals. Prior to this visit I 

 had spent five months at Kerguelen Island, and we then took 6 seals; 

 that was in the winter of 1883 and 1881. About 1850 this island was 

 visited by an American, who practically cleaned off the seals. The 

 captain I shipped with, Joseph Puller, visited the island in 1880 and 

 took 3,600 seals, practically all there were; aiul this was the increase 

 for the thirty years from 1850. While I was at Cape 

 Town I saw a gang start out for sealing on that coast; ^''^''^ °^^°°*^ ^"p^- 

 the rookeries I understood to be about 25 miles from Cape Town. They 

 are in the possession or control of a company, as I was then informed, 

 which has the exclusive right to take seals there. We did not dare to 

 go to those rookeries, because sealing was prohibited, and we would 

 not have been allowed to take them in the waters adjacent thereto. 

 Argentina also claimed possession of Staten Land at 

 Cape Horn, and since about 1882 or 1883 we have not s^'-^ten Land. 

 been allowed to take seals at that ])oint or in the waters near there, 

 although the citizens of Argentina themselves have taken seals there 

 every year, as I understand and believe. In the first 

 part of a season we never disturbed the rookeries we ^^""er "f hunting, 

 visited, always letting the seals come on shore; then we would kill 

 them on land with clubs or riiies. During the latter part of a season 

 the seals become very wild, and we used to shoot them in the water 

 from boats. When we shoot them in the water we lose 

 certainly three out of five we kiU by sinking, and we ^^^^^t^ of ufe. 

 also wounded a great many more. Shooting seals in the water is the 

 most destructive method of taking them as compared with the number 

 of skins we have to show for our work. 



The shores occupied by all these rookeries I have mentioned are of 

 mucli the same character; there is a narrow beach 

 line from which cliffs rise abruptly to the height of ,„9Af ''•'*r "/■ ^,^°T-^ 



r--j.-ir-iv^j.^i 1^1 and chmateof islands. 



iij to 150 feet; through these are narrow crevasses 

 in the rocks or small ravines, where streams flow into the sea; it is at 

 such points the seals are to be found. The animals clamber up these 

 rocks, often going where it is impossible for man to go. The climate of 

 these localities is peculiar. The sky is constantly overcast, and during 

 the summer the average temperature would be between 40° and 45° F. 

 Eain falls nearly every day, keeping the atmosphere constantly moist, 

 but no hard storms take place, the rain falling in misty showers. Dur- 

 ing the fourteen months I passed at West Cliff, heretofore mentioned, I 

 had an excellent opportunity to examine and study the seals which fre- 

 quent that coast. Along the coasts and islands near Cape Horn snow 

 does not fall to any extent, and never remains for any length of time. 

 No ice forms along the shore. There is very little difference in the 

 temi^erature of winter and summer. The seals inhab- „ , 

 iting these shores do not migrate, but always remain Sab.ts of the seal.,, 

 on or near the land, only going a short distance in search of food, and 

 at all seasons and in every month of the year seals can be found on 

 shore. Toward the latter part of October ibhe " wigs," ^ .^ 

 or full-grown males, begin to congregate on the breed- ^^^' 

 ing rookeries. A "wig" weighs anywhere from 250 to 500 pounds, 



