ock a little way off. We saw
our shipmates commencing the attack as we went up the hill. Several
were harpooned. One huge monster, notwithstanding a severe wound,
managed to make his escape. As we returned down the hill, we found
ourselves at the edge of a deep gully, into which the sea dashed,
leaping up on either side, but leaving in the centre a space of
comparatively clear water. As we looked down into it, we saw it
curiously disturbed, and soon there rose to the surface two monsters,
which seemed to be attacking each other with the greatest fury. We
could have no doubt that they were sea-lions; and from the blood which
flowed from the neck of one of them, we guessed that he was the one we
had seen wounded. No animals on shore could have fought more
desperately, although their teeth alone could be used as weapons of
assault. They swam at each other, seizing each other's snouts, and
fins, and lips, and struggled, and turned, and floundered about, till a
big sea rushing up, carried both of them out of our sight.

"Such are human combats," observed Newman, with one of his peculiar
laughs. "The sharks or the birds of prey will alone benefit by their
folly."

While we were speaking, we saw several huge albatrosses flying, at the
speed almost of lightning, towards the island. Instantly they pounced
down on some of the birds we had killed; but finding that they had not
yet a sufficiently high flavour to suit their palates, they picked up
some of the eggs which we had compelled the jackass penguins to desert,
and flew off with them, it was impossible to say where. We returned to
the ship with a boat-load of birds and eggs, but not without a thorough
ducking.

While I am on the subject of natural history, I will describe another
species of seal, which we found on some islands on which we landed. We
went on shore, as we had before done, armed with clubs and lances, to
capture some of them. It required a knowledge of their inert and
slothful character to give us courage to attack them with the weapons
which we possessed, for in size and appearance they were most
formidable-looking monsters. They were from twenty-five to thirty feet
long, and some eighteen feet in circumference. Their heads are armed
with large tusks and formidable teeth, and the male has the power of
elongating the upper lip into the form of a proboscis, from which
circumstance they are called sea-elephants. They are only found in
those reg