82 CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 



trifle, a fresh Avater turtle weighing 40lb., which, when drest, 

 we found equal the green turtle. 



The method of closing a bargain, and giving a receipt, 

 is by the buyer and seller breaking a blade of grass or a 

 leaf between them, and until this ceremony is performed, 

 no bargain is legally concluded, though the parties may have 

 possession of each other's goods ; this we only learned by 

 experience, for having bought, and, as we thought, paid for 

 a couple of fowls, they were immediately slaughtered for 

 dinner, but the owner taking advantage of the omission of 

 the ceremony, pretended that he had not concluded the 

 bargain, and insisted on another glass, which we were 

 obliged to give him, but profited by the lesson. 



During our forced detention at Shark point, the Naturalists 

 made some excursions on shore, and were gratified in their 

 respective pursuits, particularly Dr. Smith, who procured 

 many interesting plants. Mr. Cranch shot some birds, 

 amongst which were an eagle, an anhinga, several varieties 

 of the king fisher, a toukan, and many small birds. Near 

 the shore, these gentlemen saw, close to a place where had 

 been a fire, human skulls and other human bones. Ob- 

 serving the natives take considerable numbers of fish with 

 nets, we sent two boats to haul the seine at day-light of 

 the 11th. On the outside of the point they were entirely 



