134 VOYAGE INTO 



or ropes, and each of them is about eighty or ninety fathoms 

 long. When they go a hunting they take along with them 

 into each sloop, two and sometimes three harpoons, six launces, 

 two or three sea-horse launces, three lines, and five or six 

 men, according to the bigness of the sloops ; therein is the 

 harpoonier, line-keeper or giver, and the steersman : they 

 all row equally until they come near to the ichale, except 

 the steersman, for he guides the boat with his rudder ; they 

 also have in each sloop a chopping-knife, to cut off the rope 

 when they cannot follow the ivhale, and a hammer and other 

 instruments, as hatchets, drags, and several sorts of knives, 

 wherewithal they cut the ivhales. Meat and drink is also 

 given them according to the usual custom ; he that will have 

 better must take it along with him. 



Lazy fellows are in this voyage troubled with the scurvy, 

 but those that fear neither air nor wind and bestir themselves 

 escape pretty well ; else scurvy is the common distemper in 

 this voyage, besides fevers, imposthumes and other accidental 

 distempers, and therefore the chyrurgion must take care to 

 provide himself. 



CHAP. XII. 



Of Rotz-fishes and Sea-qualms} 



RoTZ-FisH (or slimc-Jishes) I call these, that in themselves 

 are nothing else but slime, and they are transparent. I have 

 observed several kinds of thct^e, some whereof have parts 

 like finns, as that same which I call the sea May-Jlie. Others 

 are like unto the flat snails, only instead of finns they have 

 stalks like unto feathers. Besides these, I have seen four 

 other sorts that are quite differing in shape from the others, 



^ Tlic AcalepJui' or Meclusie. 



