(70 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 69 



tough. A Calf that sucks is the most dehcate meat; Privateers com- 

 monly roast them ; as they do also great pieces cut out of the Bellies 

 of the old ones. 



" The Skin of the Manatee is of great use to Privateers, for thev 

 cut them into straps, which they make fast on the sides of their 

 Canoas through which they put their Oars in rowing, instead of 

 tholes or pegs. The Skin of the Bull, or of the back of the Cow is 

 too thick for this use ; but of it they make Horse-whips, cutting thera 

 2 or 3 foot long: at the handle they leave the full substance of the 

 Skin, and from thence cut it away tapering, but very even and square 

 all the four sides. While the Thongs are green they twist them, and 

 hang them to dry : which in a weeks time becomes as hard as Wood. 

 The Moskito-men have always a small Canoa for their use to strike 

 Fish, Tortoise, or Manatee, which they keep usually to themselves, 



and very neat and clean One of the Moskitoes (for there go but 



two in a Canoa) sits in the stern, the other kneels down in the head, 

 and both paddle till they come to the place where they expect their 

 game. Then they lie still or paddle very softly, looking well about 

 them, and he that is in the head of the Canoa lays down his paddle, 

 and stands up with his striking staff in his hand. This staff is about 

 8 foot long, almost as big as a mans Arm, at the great end, in which 

 there is a hole to place his Harpoon in. At the other end of his staff 

 there is a piece of light wood called Bobwood, with a hole in it. 

 through which the small end of the staff comes ; and on this piece of 

 Bobwood, there is a line of lo to 12 fathom wound neatly about, and 

 the end of the line made fast to it. The other end of the line is made 

 fast to the Harpoon, which is at the great end of the Staff, and the 

 Moskifo man keeps about a fathom of it loose in his hand. When 

 he strikes, the Harpoon presently comes out of the staff', and as the 

 ^Manatee swims away, the line runs oft' from the bob ; and although 

 at first both staff and bob may be carried under water, yet as the line 

 runs off it will rise again. Then the Moskito men paddle with all 

 their might to get hold of the bob again, and spend usually a quarter 

 of an hour before they get it. When the Manatee begins to be tired 

 it lieth still, and then the Moskito men paddle to the bob and take it 

 up, and begin to hale in the line. When the Manatee feels them he 

 swims away again, with the Canoa after him ; then he that steers must 

 be nimble to turn the head of the Canoa, and holding the line, both 

 sees and feels which way the Manatee is swimming. Thus the Canoa 

 is towed with a violent motion, till the Manatee's strength decays. 

 Then they gather in the line, which they are often forced to let all go 



