The Nevada journal., 1857-11-20

L he seal, with which the coast OF Call-
fornia abounds, is the Phoca ,Jubata of
naturalists. 1t is generally known as
the chair SEAL" and is by no means
rare, az almost all the costs in high
southern and northern latitudes, abound
with it. To the Laplander it is meat,
drink, clothing, etc. To the Indians of
Behring's Straits and Kamschatka it is
most valuable; in fact they could hard
~ exist without it. Far away in those
inhospitable regions, where winter reigns
| three fourths of the year, no timber can
be obtained sufficiently large to build a
canoe; but with few seal skins, and
little whale bone, the Indian will con-
struct one of the most perfect life boats
in the world. In this he will fearlessly
venture miles from the land to catch fish
and seals, ay, even the whale. These
canoes are difficult to manage to those
| who are unacquainted with them. 1t
requires no small degree of practice,
even in the Kamschatkan, in rough
sea to keep such boat alive. lie is
not allowed to marry unless he have the
ability of so making and guiding them
81 it is make a canoe, guide a canoe,
with him, before he can rule a wife and
have a wife. Indeed his canoe is all to
him-his house, his clothes, his furni-
ture, his food-for without it, his shores,
prolific in fish, would be useless.
The countenance Of the hair seal
bears the impress of great sagacity. Its
full round beautiful eye indicates even
an intelligence rarely to be found in any
other inhabitant of the waters. This
was remarked by the ancient historian
P1iny. He gives an amusing account
OF one that was easily taught to perform
certain tricks. 1t would salute visitors
freely, and would answer to its name
when called. Cuvier narrates Of one
that / e saw, that it was made to stand
erect on its tail, and hold a staff between
its t1ippers, like sentinel on duty. 1t
would tumble heels over head when de-
sired, give hipper TO be shaken and
present its lips fol its keepers kiss.
Capt. Russell, the traveller and ex-
plorer of the sea-board trea sures Of Cal
ifornia, says, that it rs most amusing
sometimes to see the content of these
animals with the Coast Indians The
fellows will skulk beyond the rocks ad-
Jacent to some gently sloping sand
banks, and when the shoal has become
dry by tire receding Of the tide, they
front the body of seals and interpose
their return to the water; each selecting
as his prey the biggest and most power
full. Catching hold of the tail-fipper,
the animal scuffles along the sand, drag
! ging along after him the Indian, who
with tight grip follows, until by
ploughing deep furrow with his feet.
leaning back, and with all his strength
resisting the powerful progress Of the
animal, both come to a dead stand
The animals ide-hippers are then tied
by another party, and the poor beast
easily becomes his prey. The Indians
show barbarous cruelty in preparing
them for food or for blubber. a huge
fire is made in large fiat hole in the
ground, and the poor beasts are hurled
in and roasted alive. 1--WE have no
other way" said they, ''of smuggling or
scorching off their hair. If they were
put in dead we should have to get in
the fire ourselves to turn them, but be-
ing alive they spare us the trouble, and
turn themselves when one side is singed
| sufficiently"
The whole tribe possess remarkable
pecuiarlties Of respiration and circula-
ton Of blood. The interval between
their respirations is very long. A full
grown animal can remain under water
without requiring fresh inspiration, for
upwsrds of half an hour Thev can
open and close at pleasure, for these
purposes, their valvuiar nostiils in a sur
prising degree, eating their food all the
time under water with perfect enjoy
ment. Their breathing is remarkably
slow, and very irregular After open
ing the nostrils and making long ex-
piration, the creature inhales air by
long inspiration, and just before diving,
closes its nostrils as tight as any me
| chanical valve In confinement they
have been observed to remain asleep,
with the head under water, for an hour
at each time, without any fresh iuhala-
ton of air Naturalists account for this
power by the animals possessing great
venous canal in its liver, which assists
it in diving, so that their reputation is
somewhat independent of the circula-
ton of the blood.-HutcAing's Callfor-
MIA Maya ere.
Mr.. WEBSTER adds in a note to his
Letter to the citizens of Newburvport
an extract from a private letter from
one of the most distinguished men in
England, dated a. late as the 29th of
January. "Religion is an excellent
thing in every matter except in politics.
There it seems to make men mad and
do not know of any people more mad
than the anti-slavery people on your
side of the water and ON ours. Up to
the present time have no doubt they
have aggravated every evil they have
endeavored to mitigate or prevent. If
you tell one of them what has been the
result of his efficiousness, he answers
'Liberari AMMAN medm,' | may have
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