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XIII. Some account of the Dugong. By Sir Thomas Stamford 
Raffles, Governor of Sumatra ; communicated in a Letter to 
Sir Everard Home, Bart. V. P. R. S. 
Read May 18, 1820. 
My dear Sir, 
X have now the pleasure of communicating to you the de- 
sired information concerning the dugong. At Singapore, in 
June last, I had the good fortune to meet with one of these 
animals, and Messrs. Diard and Duvaucel, two French 
naturalists, employed under my authority, undertook the 
dissection of it ; and have sent a dissertation upon it to Sir 
Joseph Banks. This does not interfere with my sending to 
you, as I promised, an account of it. I was present at the 
dissection ; and the following observations, as far as they go, 
may be depended upon. I have read them over to Dr. Wal- 
lick and General Hardwicke, and they concur in opinion 
as to the correctness of the description. I have the pleasure 
to acquaint you, that General Hardwicke has just now got 
a small dugong, four feet six inches long, which I have suc- 
ceeded in persuading him to send home to you for dissection, 
and you will receive it by the next ships. 
The dugong which we examined measured eight feet and 
a half in length, and afforded no less interest under the 
knife than satisfaction on the table, as the flesh proved to be 
most excellent beef. Our entertainment was truly marine ; 
