. The young Nimrods in North America : a book for boys . lization, and in a short time seemed toforget all about his wild life on the rocks and in the water. There were thousands of sea-lions in sight when the boys visited theisland, and they showed how little was their fear of man by allowing theparty to approach quite near them. Some of them were estimated toweigh from fifteen hundred to two thousand pounds, and they looked notunlike great oxen that had been deprived of their hind legs. They wrig-gled their way around on the rocks, and pushed each other aside with arudeness that indicated an
. The young Nimrods in North America : a book for boys . lization, and in a short time seemed toforget all about his wild life on the rocks and in the water. There were thousands of sea-lions in sight when the boys visited theisland, and they showed how little was their fear of man by allowing theparty to approach quite near them. Some of them were estimated toweigh from fifteen hundred to two thousand pounds, and they looked notunlike great oxen that had been deprived of their hind legs. They wrig-gled their way around on the rocks, and pushed each other aside with arudeness that indicated an ignorance of the ways of polite societj^. Thestronger insisted on the right of way, without the least regard to the feel-ings of the rest; and when a small seal had secured a comfortable placeon the rocks, he was ousted by the first big fellow that came along. Theykept up a continual bellowing, and the major said that in times past thisbellowing served a useful purpose in warning ships that they were ap-proaching the Farallones. 272 THE YOUNG SKA-LIONS ON THE FARALLOX ISLANDS. Ill the water the huge fellows were far more graceful than on therocks. They swim rapidly, and dive to great depths in pursuit of thetish that form their food ; and when once they get sight of a fish lie mustmove at a lively gait to escape them. Hundreds of them were playingin the breakers in front of where om friends were standing, and the boys C> «/ HOW THE SEA-LIONS ENJOY THEMSELVES. 273 thought they had never seen any motions more graceful than those of aswimming sea-lion. The major said that the heavier the surf the moredid these amphibious creatures appear to enjoy it, and sometimes they re-mained for hours in the breakers, rising on the crest of the waves, and c/ then diving below, just as it seemed impossible for them to avoid beingdashed on the sharp rocks. The whistle sounded to indicate that the landing of supplies for thelight-house had been completed, and the steamer was ready
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