606 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. xv. 



discovered, but the last was killed on Behring Island in 1768, 

 and none lias been seen since then." 



On the ground of the writings of which I have given an 

 account above, and of various pieces of information collected 

 during this century from the Russian authorities in the region, 

 by the skilful conservator Wosnessenski, the academicians von 

 Baer and Brandt ^ came to the conclusion that the sea-cow 

 had scarcely been seen by Europeans before the y th November, 

 1741, wheo Steller, the day after his landing on Behring Island, 

 for the first time saw some strange animals pasturing with 

 their heads under water on the shores of the island ; and that 

 the animal twenty-seven years afterwards, or in 1768, was com- 

 pletely exterminated. The latter statement however is un- 

 doubtedly incorrect ; for, in the course of the many inquiries I 

 made of the natives, I obtained distinct information that living 

 sea-cows had been seen much later. A crcolc (that is, the 

 offspring of a Russian and an Aleutian), who was sixty-seven 

 years of age, of intelligent appearance and in the full possession 

 of his mental faculties, stated "that his father died in 1847 at 

 the age of eighty-eight. He had come from Volhynia, his 

 native place, to Behring Island at the age of eighteen, accordingly 

 in 1777. The two or three first j^ears of his stay there, i.e. till 

 1779 or 1780, sea-cows were still being killed as they pastured 

 on sea-weed. The heart only was eaten, and the hide used for 

 hayclars.'^ In consequence of its thickness the hide was split 

 in two, and the two pieces thus obtained had gone to make a 

 haydar twenty feet long, seven and a half feet broad, and three 

 feet deep. After that time no sea-cows had been killed." 



There is evidence, however, that a sea-cow had been seen 

 at the island still later. Two Creoles, Feodor Mertchenin and 

 Stepnoff, stated, that about twenty-five years ago at Tolstoj-mys, 

 on the east side of the island, they had seen an animal unknown 

 to them which was very thick before, but grew smaller behind, 

 had small fore-feet, and appeared with a length of about fifteen 

 feet above water, now raising itself up, now lowering itself. 

 The animal "blew," not through blowholes, but through the 

 mouth, which was somewhat drawn out. It was brown in 

 colour with some lighter spots. A back fin was wanting, but 

 when the animal raised itself it was possible, on account of its 

 great leanness, to see its backbone projecting. I instituted a 

 through examination of both my informants. Their ^accounts 



1 Von Baer s and Brandt's numerous writings on the sea-cow are to be 

 found in the publications of tlie St. Petersburg Academy. 



" That tlie hide of the sea-cow was used for hai/dars is evident from the 

 short extract given from Korovin's voyage. On hearing this " Creole's " 

 account I inquired whether there were not to be found remaining on the 

 island any very old sea-cow skins tliat liad been used for haydars, but tlie 

 answer unfortunately was in the negative. 



