l6o NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



The sea-cows were killed with harpoons, the com- 

 rades of the wounded animal showing much sympathy 

 and even attempting to rescue it. Males would 

 follow wounded females to the shore, lingering for 

 days in the neighbourhood of the carcase. Owing to 

 the weight of the body, the efforts of forty men 

 were required to land the quarry. Even when 

 secured, the tough skin required an axe to cut it ; 

 the meat, however, was found eatable, and doubtless 

 welcome enough to a sailor's palate. The flesh of 

 one rhytina would feed thirty-three men for a month. 

 When in August 1742, the survivors of the ship- 

 wrecked vessel sailed for Kamchatka in a "home 

 made" craft, which the tough old souls had pieced to- 

 gether out of various odds and ends, they took with 

 them several barrels of rhytina flesh, carefully salted 

 for provision. Unfortunately, their leader was no 

 more ; worn out with sickness, Behring had died in 

 December 1741. Steller remained some time in 

 Kamchatka to study natural history; but having also 

 imprudently criticised the authorities, was put on his 

 trial at Irkutsk, and eventually died in Siberia.^ 



In view of the toughness characterising the hide 

 of the sea-cow it is regrettable that no effort was 

 successful in preserving at least a skin of so durable 

 a trophy for scientific examination. The industrious 

 Steller had prepared the hide and skeleton of a 



1 Tlie loss of this gifted scientist is said to liave been due to the 

 hard-hearted negligence of his guards ; while they went to drink in a 

 public-house he froze to deatli outside. 



