OF THE CARRIBBEE ISLANDS. 69 



of the yellow-billed sprat *), it was so perfectly an accidental 

 occurrence, that it never had been deemed necessary to im- 

 pose any prohibition, beyond what the fears and experience 

 of the people naturally dictated, more particularly, as the best 

 part of their food was at all times derived from the sea. From 

 their information, however, it was clearly ascertained, that the 

 most dangerous fishes were the small yellow-billed sprat, the 

 baracoota j", and horse-eyed cavallo, which three were forbid- 

 den under penalty of confiscation of the fishing-boats, to be 

 ever exposed for sale ; and the other thirteen kinds were di- 

 rected, under a severe pecuniary penalty, to be gutted as soon 

 as caught, (thd black fishermen having expressed much con- 

 fidence in that precaution) and never to be brought to the 

 markets except in that state. No accident occurred after 

 these regulations were adopted, during the remaining nine 

 months that the British continued in possession of Guada- 

 loupe. From the black fishermen we also obtained the curi- 

 ous information, that the deadly yellow-billed sprat was never 

 poisonous when caught in the immediate Bay of Basseterre, 

 even at the time when it would be almost certainly fatal to eat 

 them if taken at a very short distance on either side of the 

 roadstead, and that, at some seasons of the year, they could 

 be eaten with impunity everywhere ; the most dangerous times 

 with them being from the month of April till the end of the 

 summer months. They also amply confirmed, what we had 

 previously taken for granted, that the larger fishes followed 

 and preyed upon them at all times with avidity, and that there 

 was no bait they could use more tempting than the yellow- 

 billed 



* Sardine dore of the French, and Clupea Thryssa of naturalists. 

 •f La Bechune of the French, and Perca major of naturalists. 



