FUR SEALS. 153 



the same time caressing and endeavoring to -quiet the object of her care, with a 

 fondness almost human. All being still about the shore save the "wash" along the 

 beach, she soon lulled it into quietness, and both lay huddled on a shelving rock, 

 enjoying the warmth of a midday sun. Now and then a heavier swell than usual 

 would roll in, varying the otherwise monotonous sound, when instantly the mother 

 would raise her head and gaze with glaring eyes to make sure that there was no 

 cause for alarm ; then again she would resume her former posture, with her pup 

 hugged to her breast by one of her pectorals, as if to sleep. 



Some small sticks being at hand, we broke one, to see what effect so slight a 

 noise might have upon them. The instant it snapped, the young one uttered cries 

 of alarm, and the mother yelped defiantly ; they soon, however, became quiet again, 

 and we were on the point of leveling the rifle, when accidentally an old "wig" 

 was caught sight of, lying on a high rock not far distant : taking sure aim we fired, 

 then turned to observe the movements of the "clapmatch" and her little one. 

 With a bound or two she reached the water, but returned again to urge her young 

 one off as best she could ; soon both were in their chosen element, and disappeared 

 around a rocky point — and that was the last seen of them. 



Our observations having been confined almost exclusively to the Pacific Coast, 

 and chiefly between Chile and Alaska, what may follow, in addition to personal 

 knowledge, has been obtained from the naost reliable sources within our reach. 



In former times, when Fur Seals abounded, thej^ were captured in large num- 

 bers with the ordinary seal -club in the hands of the sealer, who would slay the 

 animals "right and left" by one or two blows upon the head. A large party 

 would cautiously land to leeward of the rookery, if possible ; then, when in read- 

 iness, at a given signal all hands would approach them, shouting, and using their 

 clubs to the best advantage in the conflict. Many hundreds were frequently taken 

 in one of these "knock-downs," as they were called. As soon as the killing was 

 over, the flaying commenced. Some sealers became great experts in skinning the 

 animals ; and the number of skins one would take off in the course of an hour 

 would be a decidedly fishy story to tell. However, to flay fifty seals in a day 

 would be regarded as good work. It will be readily seen that a sealing- ship's 

 crew, numbering twenty or more, would make great havoc among a seal rookery 

 in very short time; and it is no matter of surprise that these valuable fur -bearing 

 animals soon became comparatively scarce. As early as 1835, about Cape Horn, 

 Patagonia, and other points in the Antarctic regions, men were left to "watch 

 out" and shoot the animals as one or more came on shore. 



Both officers and men have been frequently landed from sealing -vessels on 



Mabjue Mammals.— 20. 



