I saw, for the first time, what the settlers call a _pod_ of sea
elephants. At this particular season these animals lay strewed about the
beach, and, unless you disturb them, the sight of a man will not
frighten them away. I was determined to get a good portrait of some of
them, and accordingly took my sketch-book and pencil, and seated myself
very near to one of them, and began my operations, feeling sure I had
now got a most patient sitter, for they will lie for weeks together
without stirring; but I had to keep throwing small pebbles at him, in
order to make him open his eyes, and prevent his going to sleep. The
flies appear to torment these unwieldy monsters most cruelly, their
eyes and nostrils being stuffed full of them. I got a good sketch of the
group. They appeared to stare at me occasionally with some little
astonishment, stretching up their immense heads and looking around; but
finding all still (I suppose they considered me a mere rock), they
composed themselves to sleep again. They are the most shapeless
creatures about the body. I could not help comparing them to an
over-grown maggot, and their motion is similar to that insect. The face
bears some rude resemblance to the human countenance; 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 carcass 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.