THE MANATI. 357 



Description, habits, &c. 



one end of the lake to the other, without plung- 

 ing them into the water, and that it seemed en- 

 tirely devoid of fear. 



Binet says, that this animal is as large as an 

 ox, and as round as a tun ; that his head is small 

 and his tail short; that his skin is 'thick and 

 tough, like that of an elephant ; that his grease 

 is as sweet as butter; and that some of them will- 

 yield six hundred weight of eatable flesh. He 

 adds, that they delight to be near the efflux of 

 rivers, where they browse upon the marine weed* 

 which grow on the banks ; and that they are ex- 

 tremely numerous at the distance of a few leagues 

 from Cayenne. 



Pere Tertre agrees almost in every respect 

 with the accounts of the above-mentioned au- 

 thors; but adds that the manati has only four 

 toes and four claws on each foot; that he feeds 

 on a short vegetable which grows in the sea, and 

 which he eats nearly in the same manner as the 

 ox; that having pastured sufficiently he makes 

 to the rivers, where he moistens his food; and 

 that he sleeps with his nose half way out of the 

 water, so that he may be seen at a distance. 



In a voyage to the American islands, printed 

 at Paris, in the year 1722, the author gives a to- 

 lerably good description of the manati, and agrees 

 with all the principal facts already produced. 

 f< This animal," says he, " is become very rare in 

 the Antilles since the coasts have been inhabited. 

 Grre which I saw and measured was fourteen feet 

 3 



