446 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



may be spent in annoying them with the lance before they decide 

 to go. If the Seals carry their own skins down it saves much 

 labour and time of the men. The boating is quite enough 

 trouble to bear, as the harbour winds are treacherous and 

 strong ; so powerful are they, that I have observed half the body 

 of a " waterfall " blown back many yards before it could leave the 

 ledge where gravity was strongest. Should a gale prohibit the 

 boats leaving the ship, the crew will sleep in during the day, and 

 with the lull towards midnight leave for the scene of operations. 

 Many a time they have had to row miles against a tempest to save 

 being out all night, and many hours it has taken. Under such 

 conditions boats have been swamped, the skins floated overboard, 

 and a landing arranged for fresh efforts. I shall not be likely to 

 forget one intensely cold night while going on board with my 

 birds and cameras. The helmsman got a renewed attack of 

 tropical fever, and, almost collapsing, I was given charge of the 

 helm. For three hours mittens and oilskins seemed like miser- 

 able calico, and then I fully sympathised with the men who had 

 their Wellingtons partly filled with icy water. 



Daily the boats wend their way in much the same manner, 

 and in exactly the same way the skins are taken from the bodies. 

 Roughly speaking, each skilful man can skin the smaller Seals — 

 ten in two hours and a half, or fifteen minutes for each. This 

 time is for animals which are not too large for a man to handle. 

 The carcases in our takings were generally of large size. The 

 following is a case of quick work : — After a one o'clock dinner 

 (of plum-duff) the boats were rowed three miles. Seventy-two 

 Seals were killed, and all but fourteen skinned. Twenty-three of 

 the largest were taken on board, and the last was upon the wind- 

 lass at 9.30 p.m. Two skins of fair size are enough for a small 

 boat, or one of a large bull. The last trip in the above raid took 

 two hours and a half in rowing three miles ; this wasted time and 

 much more was spent in endeavouring to get round a certain 

 point. We agreed without a dissenting voice to call this head- 

 land Cape Horn of Royal Sound. 



This uncharitable point is the type of many another. To 

 leave a harbour for a second one is the event most trying to 

 the constitution, for one never knows until the anchor is safely 

 dropped where the howling wind will drive you. Altogether we 



