134 MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 



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 crawled to their favorite resting-place. 

 As the sun dipped behind the hills, fifty to a hundred males would congregate 

 upon the spot, and there remain until the boats were lowered in the morning, 

 Avhen immediately the whole herd would quietly slip off into the sea and gambol 

 about during tlie 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 prevented 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 eyes, were quite overcome with dismay, and remained nearly motion- 

 less. 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 maneuvre is called "turning them," and, when once accomplished, 

 the disheartened creatures appear to abandon all hope of escape, and resign them- 

 selves to their fate. The herd at this time numbered seventy -five, which were 

 soon dispatched, by shooting the largest ones, and clubbing and lancing the others, 

 save one young Sea Lion, which was spared to ascertain whether it 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 fin -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 the 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 the whiskers, find a market in China — the former being used 

 medicinally, and the latter for personal ornaments. 



At the close of the season — which lasts about three months, on the Califor- 

 nia 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 main- 

 land, which are their annual resorting -places. They live upon fish, mollusks, eras- 



