THE MANATEES: MODES OF CAPTURE. 125 



dollars, and the skin a like sum if taken off whole, being in demand by scientists for museums all 

 ovc.- the world." 1 



"So valuable an animal,' 1 says Wood, alluding more particularly to the South American 

 Manatee, "is subject to great persecution on the part of the natives, who display great activity, 

 skill, and courage in the pursuit of their amphibious quarry. The skin of the Manatee is so thick 

 and strong that the wretched steel of which their weapons are composed the 'machetes' or sword- 

 knives, with which they are almost universally armed, being sold in England for three shillings 

 and six pence per dozen is quite unable to penetrate the tough hide. Nothing is so effectual 

 a weapon for this service as a common English three-cornered file, which is fastened to a spear- 

 shaft, and pierces through the tough hide with the greatest ease." 2 



Many of the early explorers give lively accounts of the manatee fishery in South America. 

 " Diners other fishes," says Oviedo, in alluding to the fishes of the Orinoco River, as quaintly 

 translated by Pnrchas, " both great and small, of sundrie sorts and kinds, are accustomed to follow 

 the ships going vnder saile, of the which I will speak somewhat when I have written of Manatee, 

 which is the third of the three whereof I have promised to entreat. Manatee, therefore, is a fish 

 of the sea, of the biggest sort, and much greater than the Tiburon in length and breadth, and is 

 very brutish and vile, so that it appeareth in forme like vnto one of those great vessels made of 

 Goats skins, wherein they vse to carry new wine in Medina de Campo or in Arenale : the head of 

 this beast is like the head of an Oxe, with also like eyes, and hath in the place of armes, two great 

 stumps wherewith he swimmeth. It is a very gentle and tame beast, and commeth oftentimes out 

 of the water to the next shoare, where if he finde any herbes or grasse, he feedeth thereof. Our 

 meii are accustomed to kill many of these, and diners other good fishes, with their Crosse-bowes, 

 pursuing them iu Barkes or Canoas, because they swim in manner aboue the water, the which 

 thing when they see, they draw them with a hooke tyed at a small corde, but somewhat strong. 

 As the fish fleeth away, Archer letteth goe, and prolongeth the corde by little and little, vntill he 

 have let it goe many fathoms: at the end of the corde, there is tyed a corke, or a piece of light 

 wood, and when the fish is gone a little way, and hath coloured the water with his bloud, and 

 feeleth himselfe to faint and draw toward the end of his life, he resorteth to the shoare, and the 

 Archer followeth, gathering vp his corde, whereof while there yet remaiue sixe or eight fathoms 

 or somewhat more or lesse, he draweth it toward the Land, and draweth the fish therewith by 

 little and little, as the wanes of the Sea helpe him to doe it the more easily: then with the helpe of 

 the reste of his compauie, he lifteth this great beast out of the Water to the Land, being of such 

 biguesse, that to convey it from thence to the Citie, it sh;dl be requisite to haue a Cart with a good 

 yoke of Oxen, and sometimes more, according as these fishes are of bignesse, some being much 

 greater then other some iu the samekinde, as is scene of other beasts: Sometimes they lift these 

 fishes into the Canoa or Barke without drawing them to the Land as before, for as soone as they 

 are slaine, they flote aboue the water: And I beleeue verily that this fish is one of the best in the 

 world to the taste, and the likest vuto flesh, especially so like vnto beefe, that who so hath not 

 scene it whole, can iudge it to be nother when hee seeth it in pieces then very Beefe or Veale, and 

 is certainly so like vnto flesh, that all the men in the -world may herein be deceiued : the taste 

 likewise, is like unto the taste of very good Veale, and lasteth long, if it be powdrcd: so that in 

 fine, the Beefe of these parts is by no means like vnto this. Tl:e Manatee hath a cc i tainr stone, or 

 rather bone in his head within the braine which is of qualitie greatly appropriate against the 

 disease of the stone, if it be burnt and ground into small powder, ;md taken fasting in the morning 



1 !.[: I'.Aiiox: Iu Fon-Kt an-! Suvain. xiii, 1 -.-(', |>. inir.. li'lli,. 

 WOOD: Illustrated Natural History. Mammals, ]i. ">48. 



