SAVAGE SEA BEASTS AND HOW THEY ARE CAUGHT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1920, 4 December 1890, Page 30

SAVAGE SEA BEASTS AND HOW THEY ARE CAUGHT.

Eleven sea lions were recently captured about the Farollones. The lions come up on the beach and rooks to bask in the sun, and while they are asleep the sailors crawl up as near to them as possible. Almost invariably the sea lions wake up when the Bailors get within 10ft or 12ft of them, and lift up their beads to fight, Then is the sailor's opportunity. Quick as a flash he throws a heavy canvas sack over the animal's head, and twists the sack about its powerful jaws. The next thing to be done is to get a rope about the lion's flippers, which renders him helpless either to fight or to fly. The process of oapturing eea lions alive is simple enough to describe, but it is dangerous and difficult to practise. The first morning of the hunt, and after three or four sea lions had been captured, one of the sailors, Earl Hansen, discovered a lion whose grey whiskers and enormous size testified to his great age. Tbe sailor managed to get the sack over the head of the beast, but its strength was bo great and its struggles so violent that it was only with the greatest difficulty that he could get the rope over one flipper. He succeeded finally, but as he attempted to tie the other tbe Back was thrown off tbe animal's head, and with a yelling rear he turned and made a vicious snap at his captor. The lion just managed to catch the thumb and first finger of his left hand, tearing the thumb, with its tendons, from the band and taking the first joint of the finger. The bleeding: sailor ran a few steps, screaming, and felU The sea lion, now thoroughly enraged, freed himself from the rope and sack and advanced with open jawa on the prostrate Bailor. He would undoubtedly bave torn the man to pieces had not the mate, attracted by the seaman's screams, came up and shot the animal through the neok. Even than it managed to escape into the sea again. This was the only serious accident that marked the expedition. The man's hand was bound up as well as possible, and Dr Hartling, who has been attending hirfi since his return, thinks he can save what ia left of the hand. Among the Bailor b was an ex-cowboy. He attempted to use his familiar laßßo on the sea lions, but with poor success, as the sea lion's head is so small and neck bo large and Bmooth that tbe noose usually slipped over their heads. One— a reddish-coloured, rather small lioness— he did catch with hia lariat.

Fourteen sea lions were captured in all. Among these were two Buperb malea. These two were freed in tha hold and almost immediately began to fight. The smaller of the two was killed. His hide was torn and punotured in dozens of places by hia adversary's teeth, and the adversary himself showed tha* tho fight was a hard otic. In landing the efah at Fishermen's Wharf two got lo"se. They looked so dangerous with their upraised fc cads and shining teeth that the men hesitated to tackle them. They dived off the wharfbeat in a few seconds and escaped. The eleven are consignad to New Jersey. They will bo shipped in tanks of eoa water. — San Franciaco Examiner.

} t> -Milk when frozen can be preserved any length of time.