THE "SEA MONKEY" 65 



sea monkey as well as on account of its wonderful actions, jumps, 

 and gracefulness. For over two hours it swam around our ship, 

 looking, as with admiration, first at the one and then at the other 

 of us. At times it came so near to the ship that it could have 

 been touched with a pole, but as soon as anybody stirred it 

 moved away a little farther. It could raise itself one-third of 

 its length out of the water exactly like a man, and sometimes it 

 remained in this position for several minutes. After it had 

 observed us for about half an hour, it shot like an arrow under 

 our vessel and came up again on the other side; shortly after, it 

 dived again and reappeared in the old place; and in this way it 

 dived perhaps thirty times. There drifted by a seaweed, 1^° 

 club-shaped and hollow at one end like a bottle and gradually 

 tapering at the other,* towards which, as soon as it was sighted, 

 the animal darted, seized it in its mouth, and swam with it to 

 the ship, making such motions and monkey tricks that nothing 

 more laughable can be imagined. ^•^i After many funny jumps 

 and motions it finally darted ofif to sea and did not appear again. 

 It was seen later, however, several times at different places of 

 the sea.i^ 



1*0 Instead of "a seaweed" the MS reads "a large American seaweed 

 3 to 4 fathoms long." 



* Gmelin histor. fucor. — P. [For identification see, above, footnote 51, 

 second paragraph.] 



1" The MS here has in addition the following passage, the last words 

 of which replace the next sentence in the published version: "once in a 

 while biting a piece off and eating it. Having now observed it for quite 

 a while I had a gun loaded and fired at this animal in order to get posses- 

 sion of it for a more accurate description, but the shot missed. Though 

 somewhat frightened it reappeared at once and gradually approached 

 our vessel. However, it went off to sea as a second shot was fired at it 

 without effect or perhaps only slightly wounding it and did not appear 

 again." The MS then continues like the published version with the 

 words, "It was seen later," etc. 



i« It is very difficult to explain satisfactorily Steller's account of this 

 extraordinary occurrence. Various animals have been suggested as pos- 

 sible objects of Steller's description, as for instance the sea otter, hair 

 seal, sea Hon, etc. But with all these Steller was so familiar that it is not 

 easy to believe that in his sober senses or by daylight he could have failed 



