The hunters, armed with sticks, could have killed them easily, but they were not guilty of such useless massacre, as it was important not to frighten the seals, who were lying on the sand several cable lengths off.
Les colons, armés de bâtons, auraient pu facilement les tuer, mais ils ne songèrent pas à se livrer à ce massacre deux fois inutile, car il importait de ne point effrayer les amphibies, qui étaient couchés sur le sable, à quelques encablures.