FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 
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what it was, but as we came close we found it to be a 
great seal, of such a light colour, that if it had not been 
for the contrast with the snow we would have called it 
white. We passed within a few yards of it, and wakened 
it, but it gave us very little attention, merely raised its 
head, with some snow sticking to the hair, and looked over 
its shoulder at us, then closed its black eyes and lay down 
to sleep again ; it seemed to ignore the presence of us 
poor creatures who require a ship and engines and all 
sorts of things to come and sail in its country, where it 
can supply all its own wants and spend the whole day in 
glorious repose on the snow in the faint sunlight. We 
lowered a boat after we had passed it, and several hands, 
mostly Johnnie Raws, tumbled in. Whalers are not 
born, and some of the young chaps who got into the boat 
had much to learn. The smith and the cooper got amid- 
