WHALING VOYAGE. 
215 
ready to leap upon their craggy eminences ; the proper 
time arrived, and we did so, and the three boats 
receded immediately with the falling wave, with their 
diminished crews to take care of them, but not until 
they had received some crackling concussions against 
the unyielding stone. We soon found ourselves in a 
most dangerous situation : we had leaped upon the rocks 
recklessly, for we had but a moment, while on the top 
of the ascending roller, to do so ; we had landed with 
hundreds of sea lions in our front, with the roaring 
ocean behind us, and with slippery craggy points and 
chasms on each side. 
The moment before we left the boats we observed a 
strange tumult commencing on the shore, all the seals 
observing our approach, and all of them speedily begin- 
ning to make for the water, so that we had the instant we 
landed about forty or fifty of them coming down directly 
upon us, roaring frightfully, and exposing their enormous 
fangs with dreadful fierceness, while some were making 
for the sea in various other directions. It w r as impossible 
for us to retreat one step, for the foaming water every 
moment appeared endeavouring to snatch us from our 
natural element, and enwrap us in its merciless folds. 
The monsters came sliding and rolling down the rocky 
precipices with considerable celerity, using their fins 
against the craggy points, and forcing themselves down 
the slippery way with great power and impetuosity, 
roaring all the time, and not attempting in the least to 
avoid us in their awkward flight, their sole object being 
evidently to gain the water. Before we had time for 
