Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-04-04

hougn II, huge sawhsh rendlng it with
its Sharp weapon, or shark foundering
through it, or attempting to tear i, to
atoms with its series of mouth embedded
lances. Should it turn out to be object
OF their pursuit, they become joyous
and haul it ashore enveloped in its bind
ing bnt airy costume of meshes.
Should it be too large to be readily
handled, the captors tie it with cords
as 1t never makes any resistance-and b.
series OF ropes and pulleys place it in
tank half filled with water, or ,hey
may build corral of stakes around it in
water deep enough to float it at all tides,
and leave it there until they get pur-
chaser for it or an opportunity OF ship
ping it to city.
While it remains imprisoned it is fed
on lily pods, manatee grass. cabbage
leaves, bananas OR any other delectab.c
fruit or vegetable 1t NAV be very shy
for the first dag or two. but, after tina.
time, it becomes quite. familiar. allows
its head to be scratched and eats food
out of the hand.
When sod it is generally placed in :
large tank. pu; Al, 9agd a sloop aud carried
TO its destination Ak adult manatee
could be purchased some years ago for
| $50 or 800, but the animal is becoming
SO rare that even one seven or eight feet
is now worth from $1,000 to $500. 4
mermaid twelve feet long and weighing
1890 pounds could be sold to circus for
$4,000 at least and the skeleton Of such Il
one would find ready sale in most mu-
scums of natural history al $1,000.
Most Of the animals die soon after be-
i ing eaptured-not through any 1nnerent
disease, but through want Of proper care!
and attention. One was kept alive in the
grounds of the Subtropical Exposition at
Jacksonville, Fla, for three or four years,
and may be alive now for aught know.
l asked Mr.. Cash Thomas, superinten-
dent of the grounds, how ne managed to
keep it in existence SO long, and he re-
piled that there was no secret about 1t,
ali he had done being to keep it in arte-
sian we'll water and feed it solely1on lily
pods. Of which it ate three bushels day.
He admitted giving it very little fresh
grass occasionally, and bananas as rel
ish. This animal would come when
called, and ate the herbage thrown it in
lazy, methodical manner. 1t rose to
the surface every four or FIVE minutes to
"blow, and often sent shower Of water
fifteen or more feet into the air. On de-
scending it closed the valves of the nos
trils, swan or walked slowly about, and
groped along the bottom with its mouth
feelers for some delicate morsel. When
a wild one is scared, however, it can
swim very rapidly, and tow boat with
several men in at pace that might be
called wonderful.
The Jacksonville manatee was eight
feet long, about thirty inches wide across
the back, and perhaps a foot or more in
depth.
When it wished to cleanse itself OF
parasites 1t turned over Oh its back and
rubbed that part on the stones and sand
living on the bottom until nearly all were
rubbed of. 1t seemed to enjoy this
operation. It's favorIte haunt was nesr
the bottom Of the pond, with the head
close to the lower part OF the bank, ant
when ii rose TO breathe i. merei, poke,]
its nostrils above the surface, opened the
valves, inhaled all the air it could at one
breath, then slowly descended to it.
chosen haunts.
To Kill such an animal with o rife
while tits breathing appears to be al ex
traordinary feat, yet it has been done b,
Indian hunters On Whitewater Bay. 'Ths
Seminoles formerly captured it with
selnes aud narpoons, Or oy surrounding
, it with boats and shooting it as it ross
Eear the surface. After making q cap
ture, they held q triumphal feast and
boasted Of their own proves TO thei
hearts content. What they did not neet
for their own Immediate ase they dries
in the sun, and this they often sold Z
Spanish trading vessels az fifty cents
pound, the fresh meat being worth from
seventy-fye cents 10 81.
Manitee steak is now probably worth
500 pound in Florida, and exceeding
IL scarce q. that price e--a. Louis I<pu,
lic.