r clubs on either side as the seals tried
to slip past us into the water. What with the roaring of the old ones
and the yelping of the young seals, the shouts of our men, and the sound
of our blows, there was a fearful din and uproar. A tap on the head
settled the young ones, but the old seals died hard, and there was no
little danger, if a man fell, of being torn to pieces by them, as their
mouths are as large as lions', with sharp tusks. A seal's eye is like
that of a young calf, and looks as gentle and sensible as that of a
favourite dog. We kept on killing as long as a seal remained on shore.
We then set to work to skin them, and to hang up the skins on the frames
we had prepared. We had killed eight hundred seals, which was very
smart work.

We skinned away till the evening, when we went on board, as the captain
would not let the ship be left without us, in case of the weather
changing, and being obliged to run out to sea.

The next morning we went again on shore and finished the work. As we
had some hours to spare before dark, we strolled about the island, our
chief object being to search for water.

We saw several bays, where the seals were likely to come on shore, and
numerous bones of the sea lions, another larger sort of seal. I heard a
shout ahead, "Hollo! what have we here?" Looking up, I saw a shipmate
pointing to a hut at some little distance. We ran towards it, but drew
back as we got near; for there, in the very doorway, were two skeletons,
the head of one resting on the lap of the other. So they had died, the
one trying to help the other, and too weak, after he died, to get up.
By the furniture of the hut, and the implements in it, they were
certainly sealers, who had been left there by their vessel, which had
been probably lost. They, Mr Hudson thought, had died of scurvy,
caused by want of fresh meat and vegetables. Two or three of our men
shed tears when they saw the sight. I do not think that the sight of a
dozen men scattered about dead would have drawn a tear from their eyes.
It was the way these two poor fellows had died that touched us.

We had to remain five days, while the skins were drying, and then made
sail for the island where we expected to find the sealers. Four days
passed before we sighted it. As we drew near, a flag was seen flying
from a staff on the highest point. As there was no anchorage ground, we
were obliged to heave-to under the lee of the island; that is, o