248 
GUIANA TRICHECHUS. 
singular animal which he chose to name a Sea- 
Ape^ and which Mr. Pennant supposes to belong 
to this genus. It was about five feet long, with a 
head like a dog s : the ears sharp and erect : the 
eyes large : on both lips a kind of beard : the 
form of the body was thick and round ; thickest 
near the head, tapering to the tail, which was 
bifurcated^ the upper lobe longest : the body co- 
vered with thick hair, grey on the back and red 
on the belly. Steller could not discover any feet or 
paws. It was full of frolick, and sported in the 
manner of a monkey; swimming sometimes on 
one side of the ship, and sometimes on the other ; 
and looking at it v/ith much seeming surprise. 
It would come so near the ship that it might be 
touched with a pole; but if any one stirred^ it 
would immediately retire. It often raised one 
third of its body above the water, and stood up- 
right for a considerable time ; then suddenly dart- 
ed under the ship, and appeared in the same atti- 
tude on the other side^, and v^ould repeat this for 
thirty times together. It would frequently bring 
up a sea-plant not unlike a bottle gourde which 
it would toss about and catch again in its mouthy 
playing numberless fantastic tricks with it. 
END OF PART I. 
T^ondon : Printed ly T. Da^vmn^ LwJ^ard-streei. 
