XV.] 
THE SEA-OTTER AND THE SEA-COW. 
267 
that the skin of this animal at the Chinese frontier fetched 
from 80 to 100 roubles each. Besides, in the beginning of 
winter two whales stranded on the island. The shipwrecked 
men considered these their provision depots, and appear to 
have preferred whale blubber to the flesh of the sea-otter, 
which had an unpleasant taste and was tough as leather.^ 
In spring the sea-otters disappeared, but now there came to 
the island in their stead other animals in large herds, viz, 
sea-bears, seals, and sea-lions. The flesh of the young sea- 
lion was considered a great delicacy.^ When the sea-otters 
became scarcer and more shy and difficult to catch, the ship¬ 
wrecked men found means also to kill sea-cows, whose flesh 
Steller considered equal to beef.' Several barrels of their flesh 
were even salted to serve as provisions during the return 
journey. As the land became clear of snow in the middle of 
April, Waxel called together the forty-five men who survived 
to a consultation regarding the steps that ought to be taken 
in order to reach the mainland. Among many different proposals, 
that was adopted of building a new vessel with the materials 
supplied by the stranded one. The three ship-carpenters who 
had been on board were dead. But fortunately there was 
among the survivors a Cossack, Sava Starodubzov, who had 
taken part as a workman in shipbuilding at Okotsk, and 
now undertook to manage the building of the new vessel. 
With necessity for a teacher he also succeeded in executing 
^ According to Muller, whose statements (based on communications by 
Waxei?) often differ from those of Steller. The latter says that the flesh 
of the sea-otter is better than that of the seal, and a good antidote to 
scurvy. The flesh of the young sea-otter might even compete with lamb 
as a delicacy. 
^ To judge by what is stated in Steller’s description of Behring Island 
{Neue nord. Beytr.^ ii. p. 290) no one would have dared to attack “ diese 
grimmigen Thiere,” and the only sea-lion eaten during the winter was an 
animal wounded at Kamchatka and thrown up dead on the coast of 
Behring Island. The fin-like feet were the most delicate part of the sea- 
lion. 
