228 
AN OLD DRAWING OF A MAMMOTH? 
S an addendum to the historical review of the 
mammoth discoveries in Siberia and the traditions 
to which they have given rise, which I have rendered in 
the “Voyage of the Vega,” I have the pleasure of pre- 
senting a curious drawing of the animal, discovered among 
the Benzelian MSS. in the Linképing library. My atten- 
tion was directed to the original by the president, Herr 
Hans Forssell, who, in his memoir of Erik Benzelius the 
NATORE 
| 
[yudy 9, 1885 
part a quarter in diameter. The hole in which the 
| marrow lies is so big that a fist may be inserted, other- 
wise the legs bear no proportion to the body, being rather 
short. The heathens living by the River Obi state that 
they have seen them floating in this river as big as a 
| struus, Ze. a vessel which the Russians use. This 
| animal lives in the earth, and dies as soon as it comes 
into the air.” 
On the reverse of the drawing we read :— 
“This drawing and description is given by Baron 
younger, has given an account of the proceedings which | Kage, who has just returned from captivity in Russia and 
it occasioned in the Upsala Scientific Society.” 
The drawing bears the following inscription :— 
“The length of this animal, called Behemot, is 50 | 
Russian ells ; the height is not known, but a rib being | 
5 arsin long, it may be estimated. The greatest diameter | 
of the horn is half of an arsin, the length slightly above | 
four ; the tusks like a square brick; the foreleg from the 
shoulder to the knee 1? arsin long, and at the narrowest 
| Siberia,! 1722, in Decembri.” 
This drawing was exhibited by Benzelius at the meet- 
ing of the Upsala Scientific Society, December 14, 1722. 
The statement referring thereto in the Yournal of the 
Society is as follows :— 
“Herr Benzelius exhibited a good drawing of an 
animal, transmitted by Baron Kagg, who has just re- 
turned from captivity in Russia and Siberia, which the 
Siberiaks call Mehemoth or Mammont, which has caused 
many to believe that it was identical with Behemoth of | 
Job. Herr Prof. Rudbeck and Dr. Martin maintained | 
that it was a sea animal, moreover as Herr Kagg stated 
that it was found at the River Obi. To this was added 
that Capt. Lundius had said that its bones were mostly 
found in the earth by the river. With regard to the 
animal being drawn with claws, Prof. Rudbeck pointed 
out that as yet no animal cormigerum had been found also 
to be wnguiculatum, without being falmipes or having 
skin between the toes like geese, &c. 
write to Herr Kagg, requesting some information about 
the figure, and asking how he had obtained it, so that it 
might be ascertained whether it was reliable. There is a 
7 Published in Vyrer (Journal of the Swedish Anthropological and Geo- 
graphical Society), 1884, Parts 7and 8. (Translation communicated by the 
Author.) 
2 **Svenska Akademiens 
Academy), Part 58. 
handli 
Stockholm, 188 
’ (Proceedings of the Swedish 
3, P- 315- 
It was decided to | 
description about this Mehemot in Capt. Muller’s account 
of the Ostiaks.”? 
At a later meeting, January 11, 1723, Dr. Martin stated 
that he had carefully examined works of zoology, whether 
| there existed any sea animal like that shown at the last 
conference, but had found nothing like it, although the 
head—excepting the horns—and probably also the feet 
| and the tail, were like those of the hippopotamus of the 
River Nile. At the same meeting Benzelius announced 
| that Lieut.-Col. Schénstrém had promised to forward a 
whole tusk of this remarkable animal. 
On later occasions too the animal was discussed by 
'the Society. Thus on January 18, 1723, a letter was 
read from the learned linguist, Sparfvenfelt, wherein he 
explains the derivation of the words Behemoth and 
I Major L. Kagg was taken prisoner at the River Dnieper in 1709, and 
brought to Tobolsk, whence he returned in 1722. 
2 J. B. Miiller’s ‘‘ Leben und Gewonheiten der Ostiaken unter dem Polo 
| Arctico wohnende,” &c. Berlin, 1720. 
