THE SEA COW 227 



the sea cow^^e [morskaya korova), so called by our Russians, 

 occurs at all seasons of the year in great numbers and in herds. 

 After the supplying of our&eh-es with provisions began to become 

 difficult because of the frightening away of the sea otters from 

 the northern side, we considered ways and means to secure these 

 animals and, because they were near to us, to derive our nourish- 

 ment more easily from them. On May 21, therefore, the first 

 attempt was made to throw a large manufactured iron hook, to 

 which was fastened a strong and long rope, into this powerful 

 and large sea animal and haul it ashore; but in vain, because 

 the skin was too tough and firm and the hook was much too 

 dull. 13^ It was changed in different ways, and several other 

 attempts were made; but these turned out still more poorly, so 

 that the animals escaped from us out to sea with the hook and 

 the rope attached to it. Finally necessity forced us to make 

 preparations for harpooning. ^^s Yor this purpose towards the 

 end of June the yawl, which had been badly damaged on the 

 rocks in the autumn, was repaired, a harpooner with a steersman 

 and four oarsmen "^ put into it, and a harpoon given to the first 

 together with a very long line, coiled in proper order as in 

 whaling,i*° its other end being held on shore by the other forty 

 men. We now rowed very quietly towards the animals, which 

 were browsing in herds along the shore in the greatest security. 

 As soon as the harpooner had struck one of them the men on 

 shore gradually pulled it toward the beach; the men in the yawl 



136 On the zoology of the sea cow, see, above, footnote 318. 



137 The words "and the hook was much too dull" do not occur in the 

 MS. 



138 This sentence in the MS reads more fully: "Finally, extreme neces- 

 sity forced us to invent the most effective means, as the men for the 

 above reasons were not able to continue the former hunting any more." 



139 Instead of "with a steersman and four oarsmen" the MS reads: 

 "with five other men to row and steer." 



1^0 Instead of "and a harpoon . . . as in whaling" the MS reads: 

 "who had lying in it a very long line coiled in proper order in the same 

 manner as in the Greenland whale fishery, of which one end was fastened 

 to the harpoon, its other end being held." etc. 



