They spread out and struck a northerly course across the ocean.

Now and again we saw a sail lower, heard the reports of the shot-guns, and saw the sail go up again.

The seals were thick, the wind was dying away; everything favoured a big catch.

As we ran off to get our leeward position of the last lee boat, we found the ocean fairly carpeted with sleeping seals.

They were all about us, thicker than I had ever seen them before, in twos and threes and bunches, stretched full length on the surface and sleeping for all the world like so many lazy young dogs.
Under the approaching smoke the hull and upper-works of a steamer were growing larger.