the fair, by inflicting on her several wounds
with his sharp teeth. His empire is seldom
of long duration ; either some one of the vanquished
enter the lists with him a second
time, or some more powerful adversary rises
from the deep: he then must once again try
the conflict, and, being wounded and weakened
by former encounters, he (like his betters)
must give place to a stronger opponent:
his ungrateful females lavish their favours on
the new comer as on the first. Thus the beach
is, during the whole of that particular season,
one scene of love and war, presenting a savage
picture of what is going on amongst the human
race; excepting that in these creatures
we only trace the rude outline: it is not filled
up, as with us, by fraud, dissimulation, and
falsehood!
The whole body of the creature they had
killed was covered with scars, but particularly
about the neck; there the cuts and seams
crossed each other exactly like the curious
needle-work in an old-fashioned quilted petticoat.
Some of these wounds were still open
and bleeding, so that we imagined him to have
been a champion on several occasions; but
we proved too subtle for him at last, and made
capture of his skin and blubber: the latter
weighing three quarters of a ton. This valuable
article, my comrades, with incredible
labour, difficulty, and some danger, got into
their boat; and the skill and address used in
getting off the beach in such a situation, and
through such a strong surf, proves what men
can accomplish when prompted by necessity
or the hope of gain.
loth. — This morning, at day-break, perceiving
a schooner close to the landing, we
all ran down to the beach, and got the boat
to the water’s edge; but again the sea ran too
high, and was too rough to allow of our attempting
to launch it. This was a grievous
disappointment, as the vessel beat up abreast
of us, evidently anxious to communicate. For
several days past the weather had been moderate,
the wind calm; and on our side of the
island, “ the lee,” even the very day before,
had been one of the finest that heaven ever
shone upon ; but this very morning, when so
favourable a chance presented itself for my