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THE STORY OF THE SEAL . 
Musapura, on the Chilian coast, estimated the number of fur seals remaining 
on the island at from 500,000 to 700,000; and it appears that but little less 
than a million skins were subsequently taken from the same locality. Fur 
seals were still found on the Chilian coast in 1815. From the Georgian 
Islands, at the extremity of South America, no less than 112,000 fur seals are 
reported to have been taken in the year 1800, of which 57,000 were obtained 
by one American vessel. About this date the discovery of fur seals in 
Australia was announced, and in 1804 a single ship obtained 74,000 skins. 
Large numbers were also taken about the same period on Prince Edward’s 
Islands, lying a few hundred miles to the southeastwards of the Cape of 
Good Hope. Again, between the years 1820 and 1821, more than 300,000 
skins were taken from the South Shetland Islands alone, while it is estimated 
that at least 100,000 young seals were left to perish miserably, owing to the 
destruction of their mothers. In 1814 and 1815 the number of skins 
exported from Antipodes Island, off the coast of New South Wales, was 
upwards of 400,000, of which, it is said, no less than a fourth were spoilt 
owing to bad curing, and on arrival in Europe were sold as manure. As 
early, however, as the year 1830 the number of fur seals in the southern seas 
had been so greatly diminished that vessels generally made losing voyages; 
and at the present day such a voyage partakes largely of the nature of a 
lottery. The number of skins taken in the Prybiloff Islands is still large 
but it may be mentioned that at the present time the annual slaughter of 
fur seals throughout the world averages 185,000, while that of hair seals 
reaches the enormous number of 875,000. 
When seals are taken very young they can be made as tame as a cat 
or dog, answering to their names and following their owners. Two little 
children once had a young seal brought to them from Alaska. It soon 
became very fond of them, living in the house, and eating from their 
hands. Visitors used to be much amused by its funny ways, and it was 
a curiosity for miles around. After a time the children were sent away to 
school, and their parents presented the seal to a neighboring zoological 
garden, where it was the delight of the keepers on account of its tameness. 
Three years after the children returned, and decided one day to go to see 
their old favorite, not imagining that it would remember them, but to their 
surprise it was so delighted to see them that it was almost ill from the 
excitement. It barked and whined like a dog, and when they left retired 
to a corner, where it pined and moped for days, refusing to touch its food, 
and not taking any notice of the keepers, with whom it was usually so 
