THE SEAL TRIBE. 03 



observatioD. After sporting and diving for some time, she would 

 come ashore, and seemed perfectly to understand the use of the 

 barrow. Often she tried to waddle from the house to the water, 

 or from the latter to her apartment ; but finding this fatiguing, 

 and seeing preparations by her chairmen, she would of her own 

 accord mount her palanquin, and thus be carried as composedly 

 as any Hindoo princess." This interesting animal, after living in 

 the house for about six months, at last was decoyed away by some 

 wild seals, and did not return again. A young seal was tamed by 

 the guard of a small island in the Frith of Forth above Edin- 

 burgh. It seemed quite to consider itself one of the party, would 

 accompany their boat across the water, and when the vessel was 

 made fast, it used to take its station inside, and watch until the 

 owners returned. It had the playful manners of a water-dog, and 

 would snatch a stick from its master's hand and dash into the sea 

 with it, where it would toss and tumble about, sometimes approach- 

 ing close to the shore, and swimming off again when its master 

 attempted to grasp the stick, but it invariably brought back what- 

 ever it had taken. It would also bring fish out of the water and 

 give them to its owners. 



The Elephant Seal inhabits the Atlantic, Pacific, and 

 Southern Oceans. It is very much larger than the Common Seal, 

 being from twenty to thirty feet long. It derives its name from 

 the long snout, something like the proboscis of the elephant, or 

 rather the tapir, which it thrusts forward when angry, and snorts 

 loudly. Only the males have this proboscis, and they do not attain 

 it until they are three years old. Although its appearance is very 

 formidable, it does not attempt to attack men ; but if it cannot 

 frighten them by opening its mouth and displaying its teeth, it 

 makes off towards the water, but with great deliberation, as when 

 in good condition it is so fat that its body trembles like a mass of 

 jelly, and will furnish seventy gallons of oil. This oil is the prin- 

 cipal object of the South Pacific seal fisheries : but the skin of this 

 seal is also very valuable for its strength, and is used in making 

 harness. The seal skin is often used as fur. It is a migratory 

 animal, an*' changes its residence several times in the year, the first 



