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An.1681
The Manatee, or Sea-Cow.
thom wound neatly about, and the end of the line made fast to it. The other end of the line is made fast to the Harpoon, which is at the great end of the staff, and the Moskito man keeps about a fathom of it loose in his hand. When he strikes, the Harpoon presently comes out of the staff, and as the Manatee swims away, the line runs off from the bob ; and although at first both staff and bob may be carried under water, yet as the line runs off it will rise a- gain. Then the Moskito men paddle with all their might to get hold of the bob again, and spend usu- ally a quarter of an hour before they get it. When the Manatee begins to be tired, it lyeth still, and then the Moskito men paddle to the bob and take it up, and begin to hale in the line. When the Manatee feels them he swims away again, with the Canoa after him ; then he that steers must be nim- ble to turn the head of the Canoa that way that his consort points, who being in the head of the Canoa, and holding the line, both sees and feels which way the Manatee is swimming. Thus the Ca- noa is towed with a violent motion, till the Ma- natee's strength decays. Then they gather in the line, which they are often forced to let all go to the very end. At length when the Creatures strength is spent, they hale it up to' the Canoas side, and knock it on the head, and tow it to the nearest shore where they make it fast, and seek for ano'her ; which having taken, they go ashore with it, to put it into their Canoa : For it is so heavy that they cannot lift it in, but they hale it up in shoal water as near the shore as they can, and then overset the Canoa, laying one side close to the Manatee. Then they roll it in, which brings the Canoa upright a- gain ; and when they have heav'd out the water, they fasten a line to the other Manatee that lieth a- float, and tow it after them. I have known two Moskito men for a week every day bring aboard two Manatee