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than half filled with the before mentioned fniall fifli ; and fo much was 

 the glut then diminiflied, that few or no liaddocks were taken. Upon 

 enquiring the reafon of this diminution from a fifherman, he anfwered 

 only, that every fort of lilli liad its feafon, though I (hould rather 

 liave faid, in the words of fcripture, '-that where the food is, tliere 

 will the eagles be gathered together." 



At the time there was this glut of haddocks, there was a great 

 quantity of cod fifli caught on our coall, the reafon of which I 

 took to be, that thefe cod flocked to our ihores in purfuit of the 

 liaddocks which are their food. 



About the beginning of Ociobcr, in the fame year, tlierc were 

 taken on ovir coafts, great quantities of the common fhrimps, and 

 thole in better condition than they are generally found in the fum- 

 mer time. Hence I concluded, that tlie haddocks would again re- 

 fort to our coafts, and that the flirimjjs, to avoid them, would crowd 

 in greater quantities to the fliores and fliallows. 



To fatisfy myfelf in this reri)e61:, and that I might learn what 

 j)articular kind of food is ufed by the haddock, I cauled the entrails 

 of a very large one to be brought to my houfe ; but, to my great 

 furprize, I found not only the ftomach, but the intellines adjoining- 

 it, to be entirely empty of food. 



I enquired of a fifliwoman what might be the reafon of tliis, who 

 gave me the following anfwer: Our fifliermen (for flie lived at 

 Delftshaven) have a pond or ciftern, lined at tlie bottom and on 

 the fides with timber full of holes, fo that the water freely palles in 

 and out with the tide ; and the fifli being kept in tliis ciftern, can at 

 all times be brought to market alive and vigorous. But the hlher- 

 men fay, that when the haddocks are thrown into this ciftern, they 

 immediately empty their ftomachs of all the food they have fwal- 

 lowed. 



Hereupon, I examined a little of the matter or fubftance contained 



