t were literally alive with sea lions. Finding a
break in the cliff, they made an easy descent. Paul then donned the
rubber dress and taking one of the nets, succeeded in passing the first
line of breakers without much trouble; but he reached the island
with considerable difficulty. His appearance did not seem to create any
alarm among the horde of mammals on the rock, even when he approached
near them. He went around the island to see where he could make the
safest landing. Having gained the shore he cast loose the net and
then worked cautiously toward a promising young lion, about a
yearling, that was sleeping, and had no difficulty in throwing the snare
over it. It beat around for a time, but quieted down as the running
line was pulled that tightened the meshes. Making fast, Paul returned to
the mainland where he joined a rope to the line of the snare and gave
the signal for his assistants on shore to pull away, at the same time
pushing the captured lion off the rocks. It snapped viciously at him
but did not bellow or make a noise, and was landed without disturbing
the others.

In half an hour another was captured and landed by the same process and
two others quickly followed. Just before capturing the last one, Paul
crawled into a large ravine where there were a number of lions. There
was a magnificent one, about five or six years old and fully developed;
but however much Boyton would have liked to capture it, he did not have
confidence in the strength of the net or his own ability to hold it. He
was going to make the attempt, nevertheless, when in his excitement, he
arose from a recumbent position and frightened the prize away. He says
he can never forget the malevolent look of those green eyes as the lion
rolled off the rock and snapped at him.

The fourth net was followed ashore and they began to devise means to get
their catch up the face of the cliff. They first tried to pack them
up; but the effort was futile as the earth gave way under their feet.
Finally three men went to the top of the cliff and let down a half inch
cotton rope which was attached to the leading string of one of the nets.
The men pulled and succeeded in lifting it half way up, when it caught
on a stunted bush that grew out from the rocks. They tried hard to free
it, when the rope which had been worn weak in places, from contact with
sharp rocks, parted and the sea lion dropped like a shot and was smashed
into a jell