it, and the half seal they could not very well carry, and they happened to have a good stock at home at the time. Barometer, 29⋅50.
Saturday, August 26.—Light northerly and N.E. airs all this day. Captain Cross is very desirous of having a knock down amongst the seals; he and my men have been pulling round in the boat to-day, and the dog killed two young ones, but they did not fall in with any more. The other day, when we got the two on Masked Island, I had shot the young one, as I wanted to make sure of him, so as to give them a taste of young meat. After I fired, Cross saw the old cow running towards him, and at once bolted down a cliff and made for the boat. The cow, however, turned in another direction, and the other man and I followed, and killed her. Cross, not seeing the seal follow him, took courage, and went up the hill again; and, seeing the young seal lying there, thought he was asleep, and set on him with his club, and cried out in a joyous tone of excitement—'Where are you, boys? I've killed a seal.' 'Are you sure you've killed him?' said I. 'Killed him? yes,' he said, 'his brains are coming out of his mouth.' On looking at him I saw that the calf had been vomiting milk; and on showing him the hole where the ball had gone through its head, he was quite crest-fallen. 'Well,' he said, 'I thought I'd killed a seal.'
Sunday, August 27.—Light N.E. airs, and moderate pleasant weather. This is an extraordinary spell of fine weather; it is very seldom that we have three fine days together down here. This morning we went for a pull in the boat up the western arm. We killed three young seals. Cross and one of his men fell in with an old cow, but she escaped from them, and got into the water. They had the dog with them, too, who fastened boldly to the seal, but only came off second best, with part of one of his ears torn entirely off. He is a large, noble dog; such a one would have been of the greatest service to us while down here. He held fast to the seal until she dragged
