192 DR. J. MURIE ON THE FORM AND STRUCTURE OF THE MANATEE, 
after having captured the creature, fastened a rope round the narrow end of its tail, and 
thus detained it as a prisoner in the water for some weeks. As soon as it came into 
the possession of Mr. Latimer, a large tank, some ten feet long and several feet deep, 
was prepared. Animal and tank were shortly afterwards despatched for England, vid 
St. Thomas, and per Mail Steamers ‘Conway’ and ‘Tasmanian.’ Mr. Latimer’s very 
handsome presentation to the Society, however, was not destined to survive the confine- 
ment and the angry surge of the Atlantic. Both Captain Hammach and Captain 
Sawyer, of the above steamers respectively, were much interested in the safe transit of 
this negro Siren. The latter gentleman, indeed, with true sailor-like generosity and 
care for the well-being of the creature, on finding the motion of the vessel injurious to 
it, caused the tank to be lessened, well padded, and slung fore and aft to prevent the 
Mermaid being rolled about too much. Notwithstanding these precautionary measures, 
several days’ very rough weather had a prejudicial effect, and cutaneous abrasions re- 
sulted. Meantime it fed badly. Whether from this cause, from the rapid spreading 
of the skin-ulcers, or from a sudden change to very cold weather, the Manatee quickly 
succumbed, and died early on the morning of the 24th March, namely ten days after 
leaving Porto Rico, and seven from St. Thomas. 
The body was disembowelled, filled with salt, and placed in a corner of the ice-house. 
The entrails were partially cut up and preserved in spirit. In this manner the carcass 
reached me in tolerably sound condition, the brain alone being rather soft. 
Whilst Mr. Latimer was striving to obtain a Manatee for the Society, another corre- 
spondent, Herr A. Kappler, of Surinam, was likewise bestirring himself to procure one. 
Indeed, ere the former gentleman’s letters and animal had arrived, our Superintendent’s 
son, Mr. Clarence Bartlett, was on his way out to bring home a young male Manatee 
from Herr Kappler. ‘This specimen had been captured in the Maroni river, and 
confined in a creek, an offshoot of the main stream. ‘The mother of this suckling had 
been killed (the same I have mentioned as now lodged in the Stuttgart Museum), and 
the youngster transferred to the small sheet of water, where it was duly fed with cow’s 
milk. A few months passed ere Mr. Bartlett had all ready for a start; for great 
difficulty was experienced in preparing a water-tight tank in that outlandish country, 
where carpenters were scarce, the wood as hard as iron, and zine or tin a rare com- 
modity. During this interval, however, ‘‘ Patchly” (for so the creature was christened) 
became tolerably tame, and sucked milk freely from a bottle. 
On the 19th of June Herr Kappler and Bartlett started en route, but nearly lost 
their charge ; for on traversing a dangerous current of the Maroni river the boat, with 
the great awkward tank lashed to it, all but upset. Reaching Paramaribo, two days’ 
journey from Mr. Kappler’s dwelling, this courteous gentleman returned, and Bartlett 
came on in a Dutch steamer to Demerara. But the danger was not past, as a hurricane 
well nigh swept tank and Manatee overboard. On the 25th of the month Barbadoes was 
reached, and on the 29th St. Thomas. Up to the 8th July every thing bade fair that 
