joiith are not inferior in size fo those of ihe 

 north. I have myself seen a whale that had been 

 driven ashore on the coast of the Chones, that 

 was ninety-six feet lon^, and on the same coast 

 was also found the rib of another twenty- two feet 

 in length. I cannot but be surprised that Mr. 

 Euflx)n. in contradiction to the testimony of the 

 most respectable navigators, has assorted that 

 the southern seas produce no whales,* ai d that 

 the largest animal that is found in them is the 

 manati; that learned naturalist^ v/ho too fie- 

 quently suifers himselfio be misled by his favou- 

 rite system, shoiiid 1 ave recollected that the 

 great phoca, improperly denominated the sea- 

 lion, an animal which he has himself described, 

 far exceeds in size the manati. 



There are occasionally seen upon the coast of 

 Araucania, certain animals called by the In- 

 dians sea-cows. From the imperfect description 

 v/hich I have received of them, i cannot deter- 

 mine whether they are manatis, morses, or a spe- 

 cies of phocaj. 1 am, however, more inclined to 

 believe them to be manatis, as great numbers of 

 these animals were found by the first Spanish 

 settlers of Juan Fernandez on the shores of that 



* On the SOtli we steered for Staten-Iand, and on the pas- 

 tsage fell in with so great a number of whales, of the largest 

 size, that the crew were apprehensive lest tlvy would siiil the 

 ship. We also saw great numbers of sea-wolves and pen- 

 guics. Journal of Captain Co'jk's second yhyage^ p. 522. 



