Robert Hall

“ Daily the boats wend their way in much the same manner, and in exactly the same way the skins are taken from the bodies. Roughly speaking, each skilful man can skin the smaller Seals—ten in two hours and a half, or fifteen minutes for each. This time is for animals which are not too large for a man to handle. ”

“ The rear animal is in the act of roaring: the one with the convex back exhibits the inflated nose-bladder: the nearest animal is sleeping.
The finest herd we visited just before leaving the island. In all there were twenty-four magnificent animals, roughly averaging 19 ft. in length. For the first time, in 904 Seals, I saw the rugged nose of "Anson's plate," figured in Moseley's 'Challenger Notes' (p. 201) . The plate of Leseur, reproduced on p. 202 of the same work, does not quite agree with the animals noticed by us in respect to the eyebrow bristles. ”

“ If the Seals carry their own skins down it saves much labour and time of the men. The boating is quite enough trouble to bear, as the harbour winds are treacherous and strong; so powerful are they, that I have observed half the body of a "waterfall" blown back many yards before it could leave the ledge where gravity was strongest. Should a gale prohibit the boats leaving the ship, the crew will sleep in during the day, and with the lull towards midnight leave for the scene of operations. ”

“ A considerable trade in the skins of these animals annually passes through the sales-rooms in Europe, and Bears, Leopards, Lions, and Elephants are vernacular names with which the various markets are familiar. ”

“ Many a time they have had to row miles against a tempest to save being out all night, and many hours it has taken. Under such conditions boats have been swamped, the skins floated overboard, and a landing arranged for fresh efforts. ”

“ During the first day sixty to seventy were killed, and similar results often followed. To shoot more at one time was inadvisable. An average of forty per day was considered good, and this allowed time to ship and "speck," i.e. ”