THE CALIFORNIA SEA LION. 47 



"None, but the adult males were captured, which was usually done by shooting them in the 

 ear or near it; for a ball in any other part of the body had no more effect than it would in a Grizzly 

 Bear. Occasionally, however, they are taken with the club and lance, only shooting a few of the 

 masters of the herd. This is easily accomplished with an experienced crew, if there is sufBcient 

 ground back from the beach for the animals to retreat. During our stay, an instance occurred, 

 which not only displayed the sagacity of the animals, but also their yielding disposition, when 

 hard pressed in certain situations, as if naturally designed to be slain in numbers equal to the 

 demands of their human pursuers. On the south of Santa Barbara Island was a plateau, elevated 

 less than a hundred feet above the sea, stretching to the brink of a cliff that overhung the shore, 

 and a narrow gorge leading up from the beach, through which the animals crowded to their favor- 

 ite resting-place. As the sun dipped behind the hills, iifty to a hundred males would congregate 

 upoai the spot and there remain until the boats were lowered in the morning, when immediately the 

 whole herd would quietly slip off into the sea and gambol about during the day, returning as they 

 saw the boats again leave the island for the ship. Several unsuccessful attempts had been made 

 to take them; but at last a fresh breeze commenced blowing directly from the shore, and prevent* d 

 their scenting the hunters, who landed some distance from the rookery, then cautiously advanced, 

 and suddenly yelling, and flourishing muskets, clubs, and lances, rushed up within a few yards of 

 them, while the pleading creatures, with lolling tongues and glaring ej es, were quite overcome 

 with dismay, and remained nearly motionless. At last, two overgrown males broke through the 

 line formed by the men, but they paid the penalty with their lives before reaching the water. A 

 few moments passed, when all hands moved slowly toward the rookery, which as slowly retreated. 

 This maneuver is termed 'turning them,' and, when once accomplished, the disheartened creatures 

 appear to abandon all hope of escape, and resign themselves to their fate. The herd at this time 

 numbered seventy-flve, which were soon dispatched, by shooting the largest ones, and clubbing 

 and lancing the others, save one young Sea Lion, which was spared to see whe.;her he would make 

 any resistance by being driven over the hills beyond. The poor creature only moved along 

 through the prickly pears that covered the ground when compelled by his cruel pursuers; and. at 

 last, with an imploring look and writhing in pain, it held out its fln-like arms, which were pierced 

 with thorns, in such a manner as to touch the sympathy of the barbarous sealers, who instantly 

 put the sufferer out of its misery by a stroke of a heavy club. As soon as the animal is killed, the 

 longest spires of its whiskers are pulled out, then it is skinned, and its coating of fat cut in sections 

 from its body and transported to the vessel, where, after being 'minced,' the oil is extracted by 

 boiling. The testes are taken out, and, with the selected spires of whiskers, find a market in 

 China — the former being used medicinally, and the latter lor personal ornaments. 



"At the close of the season — which lasts about three months, on the California coast — a large 

 majority of the great herds, both males and females, return to the sea, and roam in all directions in 

 quest of food, as but few of them could find sustenance about the waters contiguous to the islands, 

 or points on the mainland, which are their annual resorting places. They live upon fish,' mollusks, 



' The Sea Lions destructive of fish. — The Parallone Egg Company, several years ago, attempted to kill the 

 Sea Lions which frequented those barren islands for their oil and skins. They built try works and went to considerable ^ 

 expense, but it was found that the oil obtained from a carcass did not pay for trying it, and the only disposition that 

 could be made of the skins was to sell them to glue factories. The best return they got from the carcass was from 

 bristles or whiskers and the livers. Both of these were sold to Chinamen. The former they make use of to clean their 

 opium pipes, while the latter is chopped up, put into a mixture of alcohol and another fluid, and administered as 

 a radical cure for many acute diseases. The company accordingly gave up the plan of sea-lion hunting, but the 

 effect of their brief warfare upon these animals was to drive vast droves of them over to the rocks about the Cliff House 

 and the neighborhood of the Heads. In consequence of their being protected by law in these localities, they have 

 doabled and trebled in number within the past three years. The Sea Lions are a very expensive luxury. It is probable 



