302 December 1748. 



of earth, as If they were intended to remain 

 hidden from ftrangers. 



Dec. 6th. ON long voyages the failors fome- 



times catch fuch fifli as are known to none of 



the (hip's company ; but as they are very greedy 



after frefh provifions, they feldom abftain from 



eating them : however it proves often venturing 



too much, experience having fhown, that their 



want of caution has often coft them their lives, 



for fbmetimes poifonous fifli are caught. Eut 



there is a method of finding them out, as I have 



heard from feveral captains of (hips ; it is ufual 



when fuch unknown fiih are boiled, to put a 



filver button, or any piece of filver, into the 



kettle, which, if the fifh be poifonous, will turn 



quite black, but if it be not, it will not 



change : fome of the feamen referred to their 



own repeated experience *. 



Mr. Franklin and feveral other gentlemen 

 frequently told me, that a powerful Indian, 

 who poffefied Rhode IJland, had fold it to the 

 Englijh for a pair of fpeftacles : it is large 

 enough for a prince's domain, and makes a pe- 

 culiar government at prefent. This Indian knew 

 to fet a true value upon a pair of fpectacles : for 

 undoubtedly if thofe glafles were not fo plentiful, 

 and only a few of them could be found, they 



* THIS experiment with the filver fuppofes, that the broth of 

 the fifti would be fo flrong as to aft as a iblvent upon the filver; 

 but there may be poifons, which would not afifecT: the filver, and 

 however prove fatal to men ; the fureft way therefore would be to 

 fupprefs that appetite, which may become fatal not only to a few 

 men of the crew, but alfo endanger the whole fhip, by the lofs of 

 ficcelTary hand?, F. 



would, 



