R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 123
fome o f the largeft afforded us a butt o f oil. They are likewife
very full o f blood; for, i f they are deeply wounded in a dozen
places, there will inftantly gulh out as many fountains of blood,
fpouting to a confiderable diftance: and, to try what quantity of
blood they contained, we {hot one firft, and then cut its throat ;
and, meafuring the blood that came from him, we found, that,
befides what remained in the veflels, which, to be fure, was confiderable,
we got at leaft two hogfheads. Their {kins are covered
with {hort hair, of a light dun colour; but their tails and their
fins, which ferve them for feet on {hore, are almoft black: their
fins, or feet, are divided at the.ends like fingers, the web which
joins them not reaching to the extremities, and each of thefe
fingers is furnilhed with a nail. They have a diftant refemblance
to an over-grown feal, though, in fome particulars, there is a maui-
feft difference between them, efpecially in the males. Thefe have
a large fnout, or trunk, hanging down five or fix inches below the
end o f the upper jaw, which the females have not; and this renders
the countenance o f the male and female eafy to be diftin-
guilhed from each other ; and, befides, the males are o f a much
larger fize. The form and appearance both of the male and female
are very exactly reprefented in the annexed plate, only the disproportion
of their fize is not ufually fo great as is there exhibited ;
for the male was drawn from the life, after the largeft of thefe
animals, which was found upon the i f landhe was the matter of
the flock ; and from his driving ..off the other males,- and keeping
a great number o f females to himfelf, he was by the feamen ludi-
croufly ftiled the Bafhaw. Thefe animals divide their time equally
between the land and lea, continuing at fea all the fummer, and
coming on {hore at the fetting-in of the winter, where they refide
during that whole fealbn. In this interval they engender, and bring
forth their young, and have generally two at a birth, which they
fuckle with their milk, they being at firft about the fize of a full-
grown feal. During the time thefe fea-lions continue .on {hore,
they feed on the grafs and verdure which grow near the banks of
R 2 the