1?77. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 2^7 



wise killed two or three rails of a brown or yellowish 

 colour, variegated with black, which feed about the 

 smali brooks, and are nearly as large as a common 

 fowl. No other sort of game was seen, except a 

 single snipe, which was shot, and differs but little 

 from that of Europe. 



The principal fish we caught by the seine were 

 mullets and elephant fish, with a few soles and 

 flounders; but those that the natives mostly supplied 

 us with, were a sort of sea-bream of a silver colour 

 w r ith a black spot on the neck, large conger-eels, and 

 a fish in shape much like the bream, but so large as 

 to weigh ^ve, six, or seven pounds. It is blackish 

 with thick lips, and called Mogge by the natives. 

 With hook and line we caught chiefly a blackish fish 

 of the size of a haddock, called cole-fish by the sea- 

 men, but differing much from that known by the 

 same name in Europe; and another of the same size, 

 of a reddish colour with a little beard, which we 

 called night-walkers, from the greatest number being 

 caught in the night. Sometimes we got a sort of 

 small salmon, gurnards, skate, and nurses; and the 

 natives, now and then, brought hake, paracutas, a 

 small sort of mackerel, parrot-fish, and leather- 

 jackets ; besides another fish which is very rare, 

 shaped almost like a dolphin, of a black colour, with 

 strong bony jaws, and the back-fin, as well as those 

 opposite to it, much lengthened at the end. All these 

 sorts, except the last, which we did not try, are ex- 

 cellent to eat; but the Mogge, small salmon, and 

 cole-fish, are superior to the rest. 



The rocks are abundantly furnished with great 

 quantities of excellent muscles : one sort of which, 

 that is not very common, measures above a foot in 

 length. There are also cockles buried in the sand 

 of the small beaches; and in some places oysters, 

 which, though very small, are well tasted. Of other 

 shell-fish, there are ten or twelve sorts, such as peri- 

 wincles, wilks, limpets, and some very beautiful sea- 



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