A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15: Forming A Complete History Of The Origin And Progress Of Navigation, Discovery, And Commerce, By Sea And Land, From The Earliest Ages To The Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15: Forming A Complete History Of The Origin And Progress Of Navigation, Discovery, And Commerce, By Sea And Land, From The Earliest Ages To The Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
After dinner we hoisted out three boats, and landed with a large party
of men; some to kill seals, others to catch or kill birds, fish, or what
came in our way. To find the former it mattered not where we landed, for
the whole shore was covered with them; and by the noise they made one
would have thought the island was stocked with cows and calves. On
landing we found they were a different animal from seals, but in shape
and motion exactly resembling them. We called them lions, on account of
the great resemblance the male has to that beast.[3] Here were also the
same kind of seals which we found in New Zealand, generally known by the
name of sea-bears; at least we gave them that name.
[Footnote 3: The resemblance had been noticed by earlier voyagers, and
procured for these animals the same name. This is mentioned by Mr G.F.,
who refers to Francis Petty in Hackluyt's collection, Sir Richard
Hawkins, Sir John Nasborough and Labbe, in Des Brosses' Nav. aux Terres
Australes. The description which the same gentleman has given of these
remarkable creatures is too interesting (though Cook's account
afterwards given might suffice) to be omitted. "The old males were, in
general, very fat, and measured from ten to twelve feet in length; the
females were more slender, and from six to eight feet long. The weight
of the largest male amounts to 1200 or 1500 lb., for one of a middle
size weighed 550 lb. after the skin, entrails, and blubber were taken
off. The head of the male has really some resemblance to a lion's head,
and the colour is likewise very nearly the same, being only a darker hue
of tawny. The long shaggy hair on the neck and throat of the male,
beginning at the back of the head, bears a strong resemblance to a mane;
and is hard and coarse to the touch; all the rest of the body is covered
with short hairs, which lie very close to the skin, and form a smooth
glossy coat. The lioness is perfectly smooth all over the body; but both
sexes are formed alike with regard to the feet, or rather fins. Those
fins, which originate near the breast, are large flat pieces of a black
coriaceous membrane, which have only some small indistinct vestiges of
nails on their middle. The hinder fins are rather more like feet, being
black membranes divided into five long toes, with a thin thong, or
membrane, projecting far beyond the nails, which are very small. With
these nails, however, we have seen them scratch all parts of their body.
The tail is excessively short, and hid between the hind feet or fins,
which grow close together. The whole hind quarters are very round, being
covered with an amazing quantity of fat. The noise which all the animals
of this kind made together was various, and sometimes stunned our ears.
The old males snort and roar like mad bulls or lions; the females bleat
exactly like calves, and the young cubs like lambs. Of the young we saw
great numbers on the beaches; and one of the females being knocked down
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account