Harper's young people (1879) (14776035563)

Identifier: harpersyoungpeop00newy1883 (find matches)
Title: Harper's young people
Year: 1879 (1870s)
Authors:
Subjects: Children's periodicals, American
Publisher: New York : Harper & Bros.
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



Text Appearing Before Image:
t her waycarried her over the twenty yards while his jumps tookhim along three feet. What she said to him I do not know, but he kept closeat her side, apparently imitating her movements. Everysweep grew less clumsy, and he had not been in the waterthree minutes before he was ready to quit his mothers sideand start off oil a dash of his own right out to sea. Shewatched him as he glided so swiftly along, and then I heardher call out something to him. It sounded like a simplebleating cry, but it probably meant, All right, my boy;go ahead : I will trust you now; for she seemed to think110 more about him. She joined the crowd of dancingmothers, and left him to himself. His leaping off and striking the rock below withoutinjury astonished me when I saw it, but I presently foundthat it was only a common thing with them. They climbup from the water, even where the face of the rocks isalmost perpendicular. Their soft flippers, or paws, cling 824 HARPERS YOUNG PEOPLE—WITH SUPPLEMENT VOLUME IV.
Text Appearing After Image:
•• IMPlDENCE PERSONIFIED. to the rock like suckers. They double up their body andmake the hind-flippers fast as far forward as possible, andthen, straightening out, they hook 011 with the fore-flippersa way above, and on they go. I have often seen them lyingon k-dges 150 to 200 feet above the sea, which they hadreached in that manner. But when they wish to descend they do it in a differentu ay. They creep down in part by means of their flippers,but whenever there is opportunity they leap off and strikemany feet below, often with really frightful violence.These spotted seals shown in the picture are little fellows,seldom exceeding five feet in length, but the great sea-lionsof the Pacific grow to be from thirteen to fifteen feet long,and weigh sometimes 1600 pounds. A lofty leap by one ofthese great heavy animals is a grand sight. The first timethat I ever saw it was on the South Farallou. the main oneof the group of rock-islands west of the bay of San Fran-cisco. The sea lions wer