( 22 4 ) 



conducl them back on more to fuclde them ; that 

 this fifhery is carried on in the month of February, 

 when the young ones, which they are not defirous 

 of catching, fcarce ever go to the water ; thus on 

 the firft alarm the old ones take to flight, making 

 a prodigious noife to advertife their young, that they 

 ought to follow them, which fummons they never 

 fail to obey, provided the fifhermen do not quickly 

 Hop them by a knock on the fnout with a ftick, 

 which is fufficient to kill them. The number of 

 thefe animals upon that coaft muft needs be pro- 

 digious ; if it is true, what the fame author affures 

 us, that eight hundred of thefe young ones have 

 been taken in one day. 



The fecond fort mentioned by M. Denys are 

 very fmall, one of them yielding only a quantity 

 of oil fufficient to fill its own bladder. Thefe lait 

 ^lever go to any di fiance from the fea- more, and 

 have always one of their number upon duty by 

 way of fentry. At the firft fignal he gives, they 

 all plunge into the fea ; fome time after they ap- 

 proach the land, and raife themfelves on their hind 

 legs, to fee whether there is any danger ; but in 

 fpite of all their precautions great numbers of them 

 are furprized on more, it being fcarce pofiible to 

 catch them any other way. 



It is by all agreed, that the fiefh of the fea- wolf 

 is good eating, but it turns much better to account 

 to make oil of it, which is no very difficult opera- 

 tion. They melt the blubber fat of it over the 

 fire which difiblves into an oil. Oftentimes they 

 content themfelves with erecting what they call char- 

 mers, a name given to large fquares of boards or 

 plank, on which is fpread the fiefh. of a number of 

 fea- wolves 3 here it melts of itfelf, and the oil runs 



through 



