WALRUS, 3S. SEA-HORSE. 121 



was found tolerably good, affording a variety amid 

 the ordinary sea-fare." And thus Captain Cook 

 " Being in want of fresh provisions, and numbers 

 of Sea- Horses in sight, the boats were despatched 

 and procured some. Till now we had supposed 

 them Sea- Cows, (probably the Manatee, to be after- 

 wards noticed,) so that we were not a little disap- 

 pointed, especially some of the seamen, who, from 

 tne rarity of the thing, had been feasting their eyes 

 for some days past. Nor would they have been 

 disappointed now, nor known the difference, if we 

 had not had some on board who had been in Green- 

 land, who declared what animals these were, and 

 that no one ate of them. But, notwithstanding this, 

 we lived upon them as long as they lasted, and there 

 were few on board who did not prefer them to our 

 salt meat." 



The skins are found very useful in a variety of 

 ways about shipping. In ancient times most of 

 the ropes in the vessels of northern countries appear 

 to have been made of this substance, and, when cut 

 into shreds, and plaited into cordage, it formed lines 

 which were used for the capture of the Whale ; they 

 also answer admirably for wheel-ropes, being stronger 

 and wearing much longer than hemp. Cables, too, 

 were wont to be manufactured from them, and the 

 Findlanders used to pay tribute to the king in this 

 form. They are also used in place of mats in de- 

 fending the yards and rigging against chafing by 

 friction. When tanned, the skin is converted into 

 soft porous leather, above an inch in thickness ; 



