88 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



tradition of centuries because of the proximity 

 of the aforesaid rope z to the cook's galley. 



What the " doctor " had been ashore we never 

 found out, but we concluded that he had been a 

 cook in some city restaurant, had got into trouble, 

 and had been obliged to leave his country unosten- 

 tatiously. However, he gave us', in the cabin, 

 the most perfect turtle-soup, thick and clear, with 

 the eggs in it, as it is served in^the Leeward 

 Islands, and which in England is represented by 

 forcemeat balls. This was followed by turtle- 

 steaks or cutlets a dish, when the flesh is fresh, 

 fit for the gods. 



En passant, I would remark that all our food 

 was excellent, and the pea-soup, cooked with a 

 lump of very fat salt pork, was unsurpassable for 

 its sustaining qualities in cold weather. 



During the long and tedious calms that delay 

 sailing ships in the neighbourhood of the Equator 

 hundreds of medusae (sea-blubber) are always in 

 sight. They vary from one inch to as much as 

 twelve inches across, and in the China seas are as big 

 as a keg. Crimson and white in colour, cylindric, 



1 Foresheet, or rope attached to the lower corner of 

 the big foresail, running through a block cut at an 

 angle into the bulwark, and made fast to a stout cleat on 

 the top rail. 



