88 
The Animal-Lore of Shahsjpeare s Time. 
unshapable, and a very thick hide. Their heads are vastly large, 
having teeth each of about a foot long, as white as the best ivory. 
The English call them sea-horses , the Dutch wallnissets and the Mus¬ 
covites morse. It was in the year 1593 that the English sent the first 
time their ships to catch the sea horses, and continued the trade with 
great advantage for several years after.” ( Churchifl’s Voyages, vol. i. 
p. 441.) 
A Briefe Note of the Morsse and the use thereof further 
explains the value of the different parts of the walrus:— 
“ In the voyage of Jaques Carthier, wherein he discovered the 
Gulfe of S. Laurance and the said ^Isle of Ramea in the yeere 1534, he 
met with these beastes, as he witnesseth in these words: About the 
said island are very great beasts as great as oxen, which have two 
great teeth in their mouthes like unto elephants teeth, and live in the 
sea. Wee sawe one of them sleeping upon the banks of the water, 
and thinking to take it, we went to it with our boates, but so soone as 
he heard us, he cast himselfe into the sea. Touching these beasts 
which Jaques Carthier saith to be as big as oxen, and to have teeth in 
their mouthes like elephants teeth: true it is that they are called in 
Latine loves marini , or caccce marinse , and in the Russian tongue 
morsses , the hides whereof I have seene as big as any oxe hide, and 
being dressed I have yet a piece of one thicker then any two oxe or 
buls hides in England. The leather dressers take them to be excellent 
good to make light targets against the arrowes of the savages : and I 
hold them farre better then the light leather targets which the Moores 
use in Barbarie against arrowes and lances, whereof I have seene divers 
in her majesties stately armorie in the Towre of London. The teeth of 
the sayd fishes, whereof I have seene a dry flat full at once, are a foote 
and sometimes more in length: and have bene sold in England to the 
combe and knife maker at 8 groats and 3 shillings the pound weight, 
whereas the best ivory is sold for halfe the money: the graine of the 
bone is somewhat more yellow then the ivorie. One M. Alexander 
Woodson of Bristoll, my old friend, an excellent mathematician and 
skilful phisition, shewed me one of these beasts teeth which were 
brought from the Isle of Ramea in the first prize, which was half a 
yard long or very little lesse : and assured mee that he had made tryall 
of it in ministering medicine to his patients, and had found it as 
soveraigne against poyson as any unicornes home.” 
This note was appended to a letter sent to the “ Right 
Honourable Sir William Cecill, Lord Burghley, from 
