overgrown maggot, and their motion is similar
to that insect. The face bears some rude resemblance
to the human countenance j the
eye is large, black, and expressive; excepting
two very small flippers or paws at the shoulder,
the whole body tapers down to a fish’s tail;
they are of a delicate mouse colour, the fur is
very fine, but too oily for any other purpose
than to make mocassins for the islanders.
The bull is of an enormous size, and would
weigh as heavily as his namesake of the land;
and in that one thing consists their only resemblance,
for no two animals can possibly be
more unlike each other.
It is a very curious phenomenon, how they
can possibly exist on shore ; for, from the first
of their landing, they never go out to sea, and
they lie on a stormy beach for months together
without tasting any food, except consuming
their own fat, for they gradually waste away ;
and as this fat or blubber is the great object
of value, for which they are attacked and
slaughtered, the settlers contrive to commence
operations against them upon their first arrival,
for it is well ascertained that they take no
sustenance whatever on shore. I examined
the contents of the stomach of one they had
just killed, but could not make out the nature
of what it contained. The matter was of a
remarkably bright green colour. They have
many enemies, even in the water ; one called
the killer, a species of grampus, which makes
terrible havoc amongst them, and will attack
and take away the carcase of one from alongside
a boat. But man is their greatest enemy,
and causes the most destruction to their race:
he pursues them to all quarters of the globe ;
and being aware of their seasons for coupling
and breeding, (which is always done on shore,)
he is there ready with his weapons, and attacks
them without mercy. Yet this offensive war
is attended with considerable danger, not from
the animals themselves, they being incapable
of making much resistance, but the beaches
they frequent are most fearful and dangerous ;
boats and boats’ crews are continually lost;
but the value of the oil, when they are successful,
is an inducement to man, and no
dangers will deter him from pursuing the sea
elephant until the species is extinct.