SECTION XXXI.
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.