SEA-ELEPHANTS ON KERGUELEN'S LAND. 445 



of past troubles. One of the crew gave me a tooth some 7 in. in 

 length, the greater portion of which lies within the gum (e.g. 

 4*9 in.). When disturbed the belching of each of these old bulls 

 was objectionably strong, for it can scarcely be called a roar. So 

 great is the exertion that blood appears in the pharynx, and this 

 occurred when I was engaged near its head, measuring the trough 

 in which it lay. This lair along the convex part part was 32 ft. 

 in length, the breadth 7 ft., tapering towards each end. The 

 depth of these, mostly dry mud holes placed among the grasses, 

 ranges to about 2 ft., seldom deeper ; but they were placed in 

 natural depressions, i. e. extra to the artificial ones. Many of 

 the troughs are continuous, and intersect each other, so that a 

 large lair may appear netted, which is uncommon.* This place 

 soon showed an unfortunate change. Rifles were presented 

 within six feet of each bull, and the bullet sped through the 

 brain -box, partly flattening on the blubber of the opposite side. 

 Now, slits with sharp knives are run dorsally in the long direc- 

 tion, and out rushes venous-like blood to stain the little bay in a 

 few minutes. From one Seal some sixty fountains of blood rose 

 in oblique directions to a height of two feet, and all from the 

 single cut on the back. Against the sky-line this miniature 

 double line of fountains looked strange, and the spray of a city 

 corporation water-van is not to be compared to its delicate and 

 coloured sprayings. In the viscera I was surprised at the length 

 of the small intestine, which I found to be 255 ft. in length, and 

 capable of rough haulage. It stood the pulling over the grass 

 from the carcase with only a small distension. 



The method of procuring " Elephants " is a simple, though 

 not an easy one. Three boats, each with a crew of five men, row 

 from the anchorage to the shore, haul up their boats, prospect 

 the field, and, with four loaded rifles, drive the animals down to 

 within a few yards of high-water mark, and shoot them. There 

 they lie for the coming of the tide, and get anchored temporarily 

 in a few feet of water. Some of the Seals give considerable 

 trouble before they will leave the high lands (one hundred yards 

 from the beach on a medium incline), and as many as three hours 



* In one trough there are very often two bulls or two cows, the broad 

 part of one and the tapering part of another at one end, and the corresponding 

 parts towards the opposite pole. This ensures the trough being well filled. 



