The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-11-18

isEed then In unusual uumbera MOI
alone did they eat up everything that
could be eaten az ell which was iefsouc
side, but they forced themselves into
houses during the day. - well a. night,
and carried away everything they
could. even articles that could be Of
no use to them. such - knives. sticks.
sacks. shoes and socks. Frequently il
became Necessary 70 drive them away
with sticks, and Ut last they became
through the slyness and cunningnea
with whieh they managed to consum
mate their thieving, and the cleverness
with which they combined their EFFORTS
to attain obSectswhich they alone could
not accomplish-really dangerous. mis-
chief-usakinS animals for castawayS.
Since chen thousands upon thousands
have been taken here BY fur hunters
Now they are 90 rare that during the
stay of the curio hunting party on the
island not . single animal was seen.
The remaining ones are said not 70 have
the formerly so commonly seen black
blue coat, but the white. which Is not 50
very costly. On the neighboring Coope,
island there arc stin considerable nuns
bers OF blac}c-blue foxes
Steller and his fellow-travelers killed
here in 174i-42 TOO sea offers. This ani-
NAL. known for its very costly snd fine
fur, il now entirely driven from Behrino
island.
OF SEQ lions, which were formerly
very numerous. but few visit this place:
also, sea bears, and. finally, the most
curious Of all, the former mammals on
Behring island. the great cow. 10 NOT
altogether extinct.
Steller's sea cow took the place. In Q
certain way. of the hoofed animal among
the sea mammalia- It was Of q nut.
brown color and covered with hair
which had grown together into IN ontes
hide, much like the bark of an old oah
tree. Its length was. according to Stel-
Ter. even TO IS feet, and its weight al.
most 500 pounds The head was largo.
neck short, hardly dist!nguishnble. fors
part Of the body thick. but suddenly
narrowing backward. II had two short
forelegs. which terminated abruptly,
without any fingers or nails, but with
close gathered bristle hair; hind lcgs
were missing altogether. and replaced
by tall I'm. something like q whaie.
Teats, which ware very rich with milk
IN females. had their place between ne
foreiegs. Tho flesh and milk resembls
very much that of neat cattle: Il WINS
even better than the latter. according
70 S.eller
occupied In feeding on those sca wesds
found IN abundance along the coast, in
doing which they move head and necla
as on OK. They show great gluttony.
and were not disturbed in the Least by
the presence of people. TWAS possible
20 go up and even tonch them without
their being scared Or seeming to mind
IL. Toward each other they showed
grent affection. and whcn one was hars
pooned the others made unusual Efforts
10 save 1t.
When Steller was there The animals
collected in greet herds as neat cattley
grazing everywhere slong the shores.
A great number were killed by steller
and his companions Later, the hunt
for these animals was an inpprtanS
food item for thoseRnsSiaps @ho nlled
from Ksmtchatka TO the Aleutian H.
lands. Hundreds were killed yearly,
and they were coon Snferndnated, II We
except few animals gone aseray. q
that time only on Bey6ng islnnd-
The bones Of the. sen COW Gro nove
found lying near tie water edge. but
on q beach shelf ,Hxsse ten feet high.
thickly covered With ernn- They sse
usually covered WITH a lsypr Of debris
% one TO one aud hsaf fest hEcknassl
and in order TO fad them itwas nsces-
sary TO explore the exDsmA witha bayS
onet or Q sharp iron. e. Il would hass
been too labos1ous TO dig ~ the whole
grass layer. 4 pnson svrJ soon ssts
accustomed 70 6fstsuKna1k 81 fhe sound
or the feeling Of fhs bsyoneo whether
be has struck seaaEES-a steoc. apiece
OF wood or . piece Of hcre-
fn consequence Of fheir Aard.. ivoryg
Ike condition the bodies are ussi BY
the natives for sleigkrupnerss nd for
carvings. They are. therefore. already
to q great extent ned up. and rareS
than other bones. The bones from ths
fingers seem in most cases &c be entire.
" destroyed. and the SANE is The casa
with the extreme taii parfs.-Hartford
Times.