about which we had heard so much. For,
the greater number of the persons comprising
our party had already visited La Galite
before.

Our provisions were landed and placed in
the grotto; some clear cool water was
fetched from the spring at its extremity; and
we took our draught of bitters as usual. This
extremely curious cavern is formed by an
enormous flat rock, which overhangs the
narrow beach. A deep ravine, extending
quite up to the central plain, terminates on
one side of the cave. The floor, strewn with
pebbles, supports also several flat blocks of
stone, which perfectly answer the purpose of
chairs and tables. The coolness of the place
is very agreeable, and we proposed to sleep
there. I had voted for that motion, but we
were obliged to renounce it, and return every
evening to pass the night on board, because
they pretended to fear that it would be too
cold in the grotto. The real reason was
fright, occasioned by a dead human body we
had found on landing. M. de Pérallo, and the
whole of his party vowed they would not pass
a single night on shore. Theurkauff, especially,
had been deeply affected by the sight
of the corpse.

And now for the rabbit-hunt! Ah! that
really deserves a separate account all to itself.
We were armed with our guns, and well
supplied with powder and shot; we had M.
de Pérallo's dog Stanhope and Baussand's
dogue, who afterwards gave birth to our
well-beloved Stop, and M. Pergaut's dog
Faquin. We were also accompanied by
several sailors, who carried the game-bags
and further supplies of ammunition. Our
campaign began without delay. I, who am a
bad shot, and an unlucky sportsman, had
never had such a chance in my life. I am
sure I do not exaggerate when I say that in
two days we killed a hundred and fifty
rabbits. Every one took a share in the
warfare. The sailors, armed with muskets
or with any old fowling-piece, blazed away
for their parts. You could hear nothing but
the report of fire-arms. M. de Pérallo,
perched on a hillock from whence he could
survey the entire scene of action, did nothing
but shout " This way! That way! There
they go!" Some of them ran between his
legs, and then how we all did laugh!

Then came the goat-hunt. That was
altogether a different affair. The goats at La
Galite are extremely numerous, and are of
all colours. They are very wild, and keep
together in herds. They are rarely to be
encountered, except on the highest peaks.
They gave us a ruffled skein to untwist, and
made us long for a glass of cold water. We
climbed the rocks, leaving the dogs below;
and from time to time we could perceive on
some neighbouring peak a flock of goats
staring at us for a moment in surprise at our
appearance, and then leaping from rock to
rock far out of the reach of gun-shot. At
first, they allowed us to approach within
distance; but, afterwards, when once they
had been alarmed by our volleys, they took
good care to keep sufficiently out of our way.
The boatswain of the Bobérach displayed
extraordinary skill and courage.

On the western side of the island are some
singular rocks, to which we gave the titles of
the Chapel, the Church, and the Abbey.
They were, in reality, a mass of micaceous
peaks so picturesquely split and pinnacled,
that in the evening, at sunset, it was very
easy to give in to the illusion. It was on this
spot, which had been reported as inaccessible,
that we made our special search after the
goats. We could see them on the tops of
the rocks, passing from one point to another,
by means of a balustrade which was
perfectly pierced into Gothic tracery. There
were a multitude of openings, doors, and
loop-holes, in the shape of natural arch-ways
which allowed them to pass, and through
which they thrust their graceful heads,
laughing at our ineffectual attempts to
reach them.

Besides all this, we had the seal hunt.
On the side of the island which looks towards
Sardinia we arrived, in our boat, at a large
grotto, and there, without expecting
anything of the kind, we saw three or four seals
stretched upon the sand. At our approach
they hastened, clumsily enough, to plunge
into the sea under our very noses. We
fired all together, platoon fashion; the very
best thing we could do. The water around
the boat was soon stained with blood, and
we felt quite sure of having killed, or at
least wounded, one or two of these curious
animals. We searched with the boat-hook,
but in vain. The day was closing, and we
returned to dinner. In the evening we
started with torches and lanterns, and every
other necessary implement. Baussand was the
leader of the expedition. "Pull away, boys!"
he shouted to the rowers, in a terrible hurry
to get there.

At last we reached the grotto, where
Baussand ordered the men to row cautiously
and slowly. We leaned over the edge of the
boat, and by the aid of our lanterns we easily
discovered an enormous seal lying at the
bottom of the water, which at that spot was
not more than five or six feet deep. The
sailors dived down to the carcase; they made
use of the tackle which Baussand had brought,
and finally, not without difficulty, hoisted
the immense brute on board. It weighed at
least a hundred and fifty or two hundred
kilos (two hundred kilos weigh four hundred
and forty-one English pounds avoirdupois),
and proved to be a magnificent female.
Next day we cut up the animal; her skin was
salted and preserved in a chest; her flesh
was eaten by the sailors. I had tasted seal's
liver and the filet on a former occasion, and
did not find it at all disagreeable; it has,
perhaps, a slight flavour of fish oil. I made