SEA LION HUNTING NE AR CASTLEPOINT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9547, 20 July 1909, Page 7

SEA LION HUNTING NE AR CASTLEPOINT.

Castlepoint is a place, writes a correspondent, of many excitements. It is not very lontr since a large whale was found dead near by. A few weeks ago the various stations hands fought a battle royal with some scrubcutters who were camping near at hand. But the latest from Castlepoint caps all previous excitements As Messrs Andrew and Shaw were riding through the sandhills near Otahome (Mr Andrew's station), they were suddenly confronted by a sea lion which reared upland barked savagely at the intruders. The horses took fright and wheeled and galloped towards the homestead. The horsemen pacified their panic-stricken animals, and having procured rifles returned to the post. Directly they got near, the lion again reared and came towards them. Just as the position was becoming critical, iVJr Shaw got in a lucky shot, which brought the beast down. For some time, however, the snapping of the savage jaws as the animal writhed in its death throes was a menace to any one approaching too near. An examination of the skin of the beast showed many interesting features. The skin, which was spotted like a measured 12ft sin from tip to tail. The jaw was so powerful single snap would break the man's leg. But, probably, the most interesting are the tails, for there are two of them, each of which is divided into several Mparts webbed together like a duck's foot. In the water these are used as propellors. They are so strong that the sea lion on land, stand up on them without effort. It was calculated that this animal must have swum eome twelve hundred miies, as its usual home is in Arctic aiid Antarctic regions. As these beasts always hunt iri pairs, the residents of Castlepoint and Whakataki are going about armed in hopes (or in fear) of bereavfcd mate.