LETTER FROM THOMAS STEVENS a;d, 



neerest the Cape. I should never make an end if I 

 should tell all particulars : but it shall suffice briefly to 

 touch a few, which yet shall be sufficient, if you marke 

 them, to give occasion to glorifie almighty God in his 

 wonderfull works, and such variety in his creatures. 

 And to speake somewhat of fishes in all places of calme, fishet on the 

 especially in the burning Zone, neere the line (for with- se * c ? ast °f 

 out we never saw any) there waited on our ship fishes as 

 long as a man, which they call Tuberones, they come 

 to eat such things as from the shippe fall into the sea, 

 not refusing men themselves if they light upon them. 

 And if they finde any meat tied in the sea, they take it 

 for theirs. These have waiting on them six or seven 

 small fishes (which never depart) with gardes blew and 

 greene round about their bodies, like comely serving 

 men : and they go two or three before him, and some 

 on every side. Moreover, they have other fishes which 

 cleave alwayes unto their body, and seeme to take such 

 superfluities as grow about them, and they are sayd to 

 enter into their bodies also to purge them if they need. 

 The Mariners in time past have eaten of them, but since 

 they have seene them eate men their stomacks abhorre 

 them. Neverthelesse, they draw them up with great 

 hooks, & kill of them as many as they can, thinking that 

 they have made a great revenge. There is another kind 

 of fish as bigge almost as a herring, which hath wings 

 and flieth, and they are together in great number. These 

 have two enemies, the one in the sea, the other in the 

 aire. In the sea the fish which is called Albocore, as 

 big as a Salmon, followeth them with great swiftnesse to 

 take them. This poore fish not being able swim fast, 

 for he hath no finnes, but swimmeth with mooving of 

 his taile, shutting his wings, lifteth himselfe above the 

 water, and flieth not very hie : the Albocore seeing that, 

 although he have no wings, yet he giveth a great leape 

 out of the water, and sometimes catcheth him, or els 

 he keepeth himselfe under the water going that way on 

 as fast as he flieth. And when the fish being weary of 



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