STUDY X. 379 



the fagacity of the fiOierman, in every poffible 

 way ; for they have their belly ftreaked with black 

 crofs-ftripes, of a lozenge form, which gives them 

 all the appearance of being caught in a net ; they 

 feem, every inftant, on the point of being tofled 

 on fhore, by the agitation of the billows in which 

 they play ; farther, their mouth is fo fmall, that 

 they frequently nibble away the bait without 

 touching the hook ; and their fkin, without fcales, 

 like that of the feal, is fo hard, that the harpoon 

 often mlffes it's blow, be the prongs ever fo keenly 

 whetted. Francis Cauche likewife fays, that it re- 

 quires a very violent exertion to make an incifion 

 into their ikin with the (harpefl knife. 



It is on the fame fliores of Afcenfion-ifland that 

 we find the murena, a fpecies of lamprey, or eel of 

 the rocks, which is excellent food, and whofe fkin 

 is befprinkled with gilded flowers. It may be af- 

 firmed, in general, that every rock in the fea is 

 frequented by a multitude of fifiies, of the mofl 

 brilliant colours ; fuch as the gilt-head, the perro- 

 quet, the zebra, the roach, and others without 

 number, the very clafTes of which are unknown to 

 us. The more that the rocks and fhallows of any 

 fea are multiplied, the more varied, likewife, are 

 the fpecies of the faxatile fifhes which refort 

 thither. For this reafon it is, that the Maldivia- 

 iflands, which are fo numerous, furnifh themfelves 



alone 



