Year: 1874

BY q. J.. AUSTIN.


In a snug corner Of my cabinet Of
curiosiiies | have laid away a small
vial. which formerly contained a
medicinal preparation, but which
now holds few drops Of clear,
transparent liquid, saline in its na-
ture.


The present contents of this vial
were presented to me previous to my
leaving the Island of Borneo by a
Dyak chieftain, who assured me.
with loud emphasis, that few drops
Of the liquid, applied to the rosy
cheeks of a young lady, would seal
her love, and would cause her to
prove a true and faithful wife for all
time.


regret to say that ! have never
had occasion to test the experiment,
and am, therefore, unwilling to voucI,
for the efficacy of the same. But |
have been induced to believe, from
what | have seen ana heard, that the
liquid really possesses wonderful
charm, rot unlike that of the amulet,
which ignorant and supersti'ious peo-
pie were wont to wear about their
necks in bygone days.


The liquid in question has the APP
pearance Of pure water; and when
the vial is slightly shaken it partakes
of a hazy hue, resulting from the
convulsion of the sediment. 1t is
perfectly odorless, and is nearly taste
less; and one would scarcely sup
pose that it is what it is said to be-
the tears Of mermaid! Such, how
ever, is the fact.


In the hot season Of the year the
mouth of the river Rajang is nearly
clogged by the subaqueous alga
which grow there in the greatest pro-
fusion. Halfway between the banks
the water averages eighteen or TWEEN
ty feet in depth. In this locality the
dugong, which belongs to the genus
Srenia, is found in large numbers.
Popularity speaking, the dugong is
the Bornean appellation for what
many writers term the mermaid >
| prefer the latter name because of
its association with ancient lore.


1t may here be said that the genus
Sirenia has always proved puzzle
to anatomists, who are only half de-
cided as to the proper position which
it holds in the animal kingdom. Be
ing thick-skinned, some biologists
have ranked them with the elephant
family; while others have placed
them, owing to their fish-lke form
and habits, with the seal tribe, which
latter, though not wholly satisfactory,
seems to be the more reasonable
classification. The mermaid, in
length, averages all the way from
one OF six inches to twenty feet.
In 1854 one specimen was found near
Brunei which measured i've iy- seven
feet eight and one half inches. 1t
mainly haunts Ceylon. some of the
rstuaries on the east coast OF Africa,
and nearly al of the islands o! the
Malay Archipelago.


When lying on shore it very nearly
resembles harp seal, but "A careful
comparison discloses several marked
and important differences. The ma.
tives declare that, with the exception
OF its tail, which is forked, it looks
like manatee. The manatee being
wholly or quite unfamiliar to most
readers, any comparison between the
two will not prove of much conse-
quence.


In the water the mermaid makes
known its habits to perfection, and it
while in this situation that the OBJ
server must study it if he wishes TO
form any accurate notion of its real
nature.


In the first place, it swims to and
fro in most singular method. Then
its head and neck are always above
the surface of the water, and the rest
of its body is completely hidden from
view. 1t is whilst ~ this position
that the animal looks for all the world
like human form; and the resem-
blance is greatly enhanced when the
female is discovered nursing her
young, and taking the utmost care
that the head of her offspring does
not fall below the surface OF the cur
rent. Thua We may readily see why
| tAs write n Of other days were de-