1 69 1.] AN EXTEAORDIXARY NURSE. 75 



The greatest of them are about twenty Foot long, and 

 have no otlier Fins but the Tail and two Paws. The Body 

 is pretty big down to the middle, and a little below it, the 

 Tail has this in Particular with the Whales^ ; that its 

 breadth is Horizontal, when the Animal lies on its Belly. 

 The Blood of this Creature is hot, its Skin is Black, very 

 rough and hard, with some Hairs, but so few, they are 

 scarce perceivable. Its Eyes are small, and it has two holes 

 which it opens and shuts, and for that reason may be call'd 

 (its) Gills and its Ears. Because it often draws in its Tongue, 

 which is not very great, several have assur'd me it has none. 

 It has Hind-Teeth,- and even Tusks like a Boar, but no 

 Fore-Teeth : Its Jaws are hard enough to bite Grass,^ its 

 Flesh is excellent, and tasts something like the best Veal : 

 'Tis very wholsom Meat. 



The Female has Tets like Women's ; Some say it brings 

 forth two young ones at a time, and gives them Milk 

 together, carrying them both at its Breast with its two 

 things like Hands* : But since I have never seen it hold but 

 one, I encline to believe it bears no more at once. 



I never saw this extraordinary Xurse,^ without remem- 

 bring with double Eeason my own Condition, that of an 



1 This remarkable order of aquatic mammalia, now known as Sinnia, 

 was formerly classed with Cclacca, with walruses and seals by others, 

 and even witli elephants by De Blainville. (See supplementary note.) 



2 In orig. : " II a des dents machelieres," i.e., molars. 



3 In orig. : "pour arracher et pour brouter Therbe." 

 * In orig. : •' avec ses deux especes de mains." 



5 This habit of the female Lamentiii, described by Leguat, confirms 

 the opinion, before mentioned, that it is the Halicore Dugong. When 

 the female Dugong is nursing her young one, she carries it on one 

 flipper and takes care to keep the head of her offspring, as well as her own, 

 well above the surface of the water, thus presenting a strangely human 

 aspect. These creatures are most affectionate, and if one of a jmir be 

 captured, the other falls an easy prey, as it refuses to leave the dead 

 body of its companion. Some of these animals attain to a length of 

 over seven feet in Ceylon. (See Sir Emerson Tennent's Ceylon, 2nd 

 edit., ii, pp. 657 tt i-eq.) 



