AD. THE ENGLISH V'OYAGES 



1563-81. 



doe not fishe every yeere in one place, but one yeere 

 in one place, and another yeere in another place of the 

 same sea. When the time of this fishing draweth neere, 

 then they send very good Divers, that goe to discover 

 where the greatest heapes of Oisters bee under water, 

 and right agaynst that place where greatest store of 

 Oisters bee, there they make or plant a village with 

 houses and a Bazaro, all of stone, which standeth as 

 long as the fishing time lasteth, and it is furnished with 

 all things necessarie, and nowe and then it is neere unto 

 places that are inhabited, and other times farre off, 

 according to the place where they fishe. The Fishermen 

 are all Christians of the countrey, and who so will may 

 goe to fishing, paying a certaine dutie to the king of 

 Portugall, and to the Churches of the Friers of Saint 

 Paule, which are in that coast. All the while that they 

 are fishing, there are three or foure Fustes armed to 

 defend the Fishermen from Rovers. It was my chance 

 to bee there one time in my passage, and I saw the 

 [II. i. 225.] order that they used in fishing, which is this. There 

 are three or foure Barkes that make consort together, 

 which are like to our litle Pilot boates, and a litle lesse, 

 there goe seven or eight men in a boate : and I have 

 seene in a morning a great number of them goe out, 

 and anker in fifteene or eighteene fadome of water, which 

 is the Ordinarie depth of all that coast. When they 

 are at anker, they cast a rope into the Sea, and at the 

 ende of the rope, they make fast a great stone, and 

 then there is readie a man that hath his nose and his 

 eares well stopped, and annointed with oyle, and a basket 

 about his necke, or under his left arme, then hee goeth 

 downe by the rope to the bottome of the Sea, and as 

 fast as he can hee filleth the basket, and when it is full, 

 he shaketh the rope, and his fellowes that are in the 

 Barke hale him up with the basket : and in such wise 

 they goe one by one untill they have laden their barke 

 with oysters, and at evening they come to the village, 

 and then every company maketh their mountaine or 



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