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Show 1875.] MR. J. W. CLARK ON EARED SEALS. 651 a little to the north of the usual course of vessels bound to the latter country. In consequence they have, no doubt, been frequently visited; and in most voyages some reference, usually a slight one, is made to them *; but few detailed accounts are to be met with. In the very interesting narrative of Captain Cox's voyage, however, the following description occurs :- "At half past one in the afternoon of the 29th [May, 1789], we saw the Island of Amsterdam, bearing north-east by east; and at half past eight at night came to an anchor . . . . As in all probability tbe Mercury is the first English vessel that ever anchored at this Island, a particular description of it may be interesting to the curious " O n our first landing, we found the shore covered with such a multitude of Seals, that we were obliged to disperse them before we got out of tbe boat; there were besides several Sea-lions or wolves, of a most enormous size and tremendous appearance, one of them that we measured being twenty-one feet in length, and nearly as much in circumference. These animals are of a dirty white, or stone colour, very inoffensive, and so unwieldy and lazy as not to move at the approaeh of any one, unless attacked; when they retreated towards the sea backwards, with their mouths open and shaking their heads, but without making any noise. Some of them were very difficult to kill; for notwithstanding they had received several musket-balls in their heads and down their throats, and were wounded in different parts of the body with half-pikes, so that the blood came from them in torrents, yet they found means to escape into the sea; one of them, however, was killed at the first shot with a single ball, which, I suppose, penetrated the brain. The Sea-lions greatly resemble the Seal in shape, and, like them, are furnished with four feet or fins; the two hindermost of which they sometimes carry erect so as to resemble a tail. * * * * * * "It being very clear early in the morning, we plainly discerned the Island of St. Paul's from the quarter-deck, bearing uorth northeast, distant seventeen leagues. * * * * * * " W e procured here a thousand Seal-skins of a very superior quality while we remained at the Island of Amsterdam, besides several casks of good oil for our binnacles and other purposes "f. Cox's Voyage was not published till 1791; but attention had been already drawn by others to the profit that might be derived from these islands, as is shown by a letter from the master of the ' Britannia,' the first vessel that ever made a whaling-cruise in the South Sea, to his owners the Messrs Enderby, dated Nov. 29, 1791, narrating an attempt he had made " to run down to it [Amsterdam * As in Flinders's ' Voyage to Terra Australis,' 4to, London, 1815, i. p. 46. t 'Observations &c, made during a Voyage to the Islands of Teneriffe Amsterdam, &c, in the brig Mercury, commanded by Henry Cox, Esq., by Lieut. George Mortimer, 4to, London, 1791, p. 10. |