Second excerpt from An Account of Several Late Voyages and Discoveries
by Sir John Narborough, 1694
Friday, March 4. Fair weather this
Morning,
the Wind at Eaſt, a fine gale, I went aſhore and
filled freſh Water,the reſt of the ſeamen fitted rig-
ging; this day at 12 a Clock I went with both the
Boats, and forty Men to Seal Iſland into the Har-
bour, every Man with his Staff and Club ; we
landed, drove the Seals up together beſet them
round, and in half an hours time killed four hun-
dred young and old ; ſtriking them on the head
kills them preſently ; as ſoon as they were knock-
ed down we cut their throats, that they might
bleed well whilſt they were hot; then loading both
the Boats with them, I carry'd them to the Bay
where the Tent was, landed, and laid them upon
the Rocks; to night the Boat fetch't them all off:
the great Male Seals are as big as Calfs, and re-
ſemble a Lion in their ſhaggy Necks, Heads and
Faces, as well as in their Roar; the Females are
like Lioneſſes before, only they are hairy all over
like a Horſe, and ſmooth, and the Male is ſmooth
all over his hind parts ; their ſhape is very defor-
med, for their hind part tapers till it comes to a
point, where grow two Fins or Feet, two more
grow out of their Breaſt; ſo that they can go on
Land a great pace, and climb Rocks and Hills of
a good height: they delight much to lie and ſleep
aſhore; ſome are very large, upwards of eigh-
teen Foot in length, and thicker about than a But
in the Bilge,and exceſſive fat : there are thouſands
fourteen foot long, the common ſort are about
five foot, and all very fat; they'l gape at you when
you come to them, as if they would devour you,
and 'tis labour enough for two men to kill one of
the great ones with a Hand ſpike, which is the
beſt Weapon for that purpoſe.
Saturday, March 5. Fair Weather, Wind at
South-weſt, a fine gale. This morning we went a-
ſhore to ſlay ſome Seals, and cut the Bodies in good
handſom pieces, and ſalted it up well in Bulk on
Deal-boards aſhore, that the Blood might drain
from it: the Meat looks as well as white as
Lamb, and is very good Victuals now, but when
'tis a little ſalt, it will eat much better ; thoſe we
dreſs'd were all young Seals, for they ſuck'd their
Dams, who as ſoon as they come aſhore bleat, im-
mediately come her young ones, and bleat about
her like Lambs and ſuck her; one old Female
ſuckles four or five, and beats away other young
ones that come near, whence I believe they have
four or five at a time ; the young ones which we
killed and eat, were as big as a midling Dog; we
cut the fat off the Great ones, and made Oil of
it for the Lamps, and other uſes in the Ship; the
Oil of the young ones we fried, and eat with our
Proviſions ; it is very ſweet and good to fry any
Food with; our Men will have it to be as good as
Olive Oil; moſt of my Men to day gather'd of
thoſe green Peaſe leaves and other Herbs for Sal-
lads, which ſome eat raw, ſome boil'd ; it is re-
freſhing to their Bodies.
Sunday, March 6. Blowing Weather, Wind at
Weſt: This day, after Prayers, I went a ſhore on
the South ſide of the River, and travell'd eight
miles into the Land, South weſt and by Weſt, ha-
ving twelve armed Men with me ; my Lieute-
nant went up the River, in the Boat, nine or ten
miles, to ſee for People that way ; my other Lieu-
tenant went on the North-ſide with ten armed
Men, to ſee for People and view the Land : I
found in my Travels one of thoſe great Beaſts, like
a Deer, dead and whole, the Vermin had not
touched him ; all his Back had pretty long Wool,
of the colour of dried Roſe leaves, and down his
ſides, his Belly white Wooll ; he was as big as a
ſmall Colt , he had a long Neck, a Head like a
Sheep, ſo was his Mouth and Ears ; his Legs very
long, and Cloven footed like a Deer , a ſhort
buſhy Tail of a reddiſh colour ; no Horns nor e-
ver had any, it was a Male: I believe theſe Beaſts
are Peruvian Sheep, (Guianacoes) I had his Paunch
opened, and ſearched for the Bezoar ſtone in it
and in the Pipe to the Stomach, I turned them in-
ſide outward,but found none. I had heard Weſt
Indian Spaniards ſay, that they have taken the
Bezoar-Stone of Guianacoes, and therefore opened
this, which I take to be the ſame Beaſt ; In tra-
velling to day I ſaw ſeveral Herds of them ſome-
times ten thirty or forty together ; I could not
get near enough to ſhoot at them ; They neigh
like young Horſes, and ſo wander away. I ſaw
nine Oſtriches, but they would not ſuffer me to
come within ſhot of them ; I let the Greyhound
at them, but they out-run him up the Hills. We
ſaw a Fox, a wild Dog, and five or ſix Hares, of
which the Greyhound killed one; they are ſhap'd
like Engliſh Hares, and much larger, and inſtead
of a Tail, have a little ſtub about an inch long,
without Hair on it; they have holes in the ground
like Coneys: no Woods to be ſeen only a few
Buſhes like White-Thorns.