104 VOYAGE IXTO 



of an equal breadth from top to bottom, something shorter 

 than the middle ones. The tail is of a peculiar shape, like 

 unto one halfpart of that of the sioord-fish, but it is split be- 

 low, and the other part is like a leaf of a lilly. He hath a 

 long nose. The whole fish is long, round and thin, and he 

 is thickest towards the head ; his mouth is shaped as that of 

 the sword-fish ; it is full of sharp teeth, three upper and 

 three under rows, one by the other : his eyes stand some- 

 thing more out before than behind, after the same fashion as 

 those of the sword-fish; they are oblong, and very clear: 

 he hath five gills on each side, as the sicord-fish ; his skin is 

 hard and thick, and rough if you touch it or strike it up- 

 wards ; it is of greyish colour ; they are from one fathom 

 long to three ; it is a very devouring fish, and bites great 

 pieces from the tohalc, as if they had been dug out with 

 shovels. They devour of many whales all the fat underneath 

 the water, and this is the reason the seamen say. They have 

 caught half a whale that was dead. And the birds do help 

 them also, and what is not taken away underneath ferments 

 out of the top. They have a large liver, whereof they make 

 oyl. Out of their backs we cut the flesh, which we hung up 

 for some days in the open air ; then we boil and roast it, and 

 this tasts very well when we have nothing that is better. 

 They do not fling away the hays in Spai?i, but sell them : 

 the little ones are the best : they are very eager after man's 

 flesh, and eat many a man that goeth to swim or wash in 

 the sea, whereof we have many instances. They are easily 

 caught after the following manner : we take a great hook 

 fastened to a strong iron chain, baited with a piece of flesh, 

 and let it hang down into the sea ; the hay, as soon as he 

 doth perceive it, snaps it, and is catch'd ; but when the hay 

 perceives that he is fast, he doth i;se his utmost endeavour to 

 bite off" the hook, which he cannot for the iron. 



