[Of seales, or sea-wolves.]
One day, having ended our hunting of pengwins, one of our mariners
walking about the iland, discovered a great company of seales, or
sea-wolves (so called for that they are in the sea, as the wolves on the
land), advising us that he left them sleeping, with their bellies
tosting against the sunne. Wee provided our selves with staves, and
other weapons, and sought to steale upon them at unawares, to surprise
some of them; and comming down the side of a hill, wee were not
discovered, till we were close upon them: notwithstanding, their
sentinell, before we could approach, with a great howle waked them: wee
got betwixt the sea and some of them, but they shunned us not; for they
came directly upon us; and though we dealt here and there a blow, yet
not a man that withstood them, escaped the overthrow. They reckon not of
a musket shott, a sword peirceth not their skinne, and to give a blow
with a staffe, is as to smite upon a stone: onely in giving the blow
upon his snowt, presently he falleth downe dead.
After they had recovered the water, they did, as it were, scorne us,
defie us, and daunced before us, untill we had shot some musket shott
through them, and so they appeared no more.
This fish is like unto a calfe, with foure leggs, but not above a spanne
long: his skinne is hayrie like a calfe; but these were different to all
that ever I have seene, yet I have seene of them in many parts; for
these were greater, and in their former parts like unto lyons, with
shagge hayre, and mostaches.
They live in the sea, and come to sleepe on the land, and they ever have
one that watcheth, who adviseth them of any accident.
They are beneficiall to man in their skinnes for many purposes; in their
mostaches for pick-tooths, and in their fatt to make traine-oyle. This
may suffice for the seale, for that he is well knowne.