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Chap. III.]
SEALING PARTY.
53
1840
clearing, and when within four miles of Dark Head we had a glimpse of the high perforated rock that stands out more than a mile from the coast to the westward, and is an unerring mark, by which the Cape may always be distinguished:—as we bore away close along the shore we got into smooth water, but, passing "Windy Bay," the squalls that came down the valley compelled us to lower our topsails and keep them down until we had passed the opening.
The remarkable "Red Crag," near which the flag had been displayed yesterday, came in sight and guided us to America Bay, where we saw the party on the beach launching their boat. Mr. Hickley, their leader, came on board, and he, as well as his boat's crew, looked more like Esquimaux than civilized beings, but filthier far in their dress and persons than any I had ever before seen. Their clothes were literally soaked in oil and smelt most offensively; they wore boots of penguins' skins with the feathers turned inwards. They told us that the weather had been so tempestuous that until yesterday they had not been able to launch a boat for five weeks; they had therefore been very unsuccessful at the Sea Elephant fishery, and were disappointed to find that they were not to be removed to "Pig Island" for the winter; which they describe as being so overrun with these animals, that, to use their own words, "you can hardly land for them." The breed was left there by Captain Distance, in 1834, and in less than six years have increased in an almost incre-