74 S E A L. ClafsL 



* They are excellent fwimmers, and ready divers^ 



* and are very bold when in the fea; fwimming care- 

 ^ leisly enough about boats : their dens orjodgment^j 

 '■'^ are in hollow rocks, or caverns, near the fea •, but 

 ' out of the reach of the tide : in the fummer they 

 "^ will come out of the water, to bafl<: or deep in the 

 -* fun, on the top of large flones, or Ihivers of rocks: 

 •^ and that is the opportunity our countrymen take 

 -*^ of fhoottng them ; if they chance to efcape, they 

 "* haften towards their proper element, flinging ftones 



* and dirt behind them, as they fcramble along -, at 

 ■^ the fame time expreffing their fears by piteous 

 ■* moans i but if they happen to be overtaken, they 



* will make a vigorous defence with their feet and 

 ^ teeth, till they are killed. They are taken for the 



* fake of their fkin<^, and for the oyl their fat yields:: 

 ^ the former fell for four (hillings, or four and fix- 

 ' pence a piece -, which, when drelTed, are very ufeful 

 -^ in covering trunks, making waidcoats, fhot 

 ' pouches, and feveral other conveniencies. The 

 •* ftefll of thefe animals, and even of porpefes, for- 



* merly found a place at the tables of the great ; as 

 ^' appears from the bill of fare of that vaft feaft that 

 " archbifhop Nevell gave in the reign of EJw-^r^ the 

 ^ fourth, in which is feen, that feveral were provided 



* on the occafion *. They couple about Aprils on 

 •^ large rocks, or fmall iflands, not remote from the 



* fhore -, and bring forth in thofe vaft caverns that are 



* frequent on our coafts ; they commonly bring two 



* at a time, which in their infant ftate, are covered 

 -^ with a whitifh down, or woolly fubftance.' 



• Lelandi ColleSianea, 



The 



