0? NORTH CAROLINA. 253 



' The divcl fisli lies at some of our inlets, and as 

 near as I can describe liim^ is shaped like a scate, 

 or stingray ; only he has on his head a pair of very 

 thick strong horns, and is of a monstrous size, an*! 

 strength ; for this fish has been known to weigh a 

 sloop's anchor, and run w-ith the vessel a leagu' 

 or two, and bring her back, against tide, to al- 

 most the same place. Doubtless, they may afford 

 good oil ; but I have no experience of any profits 

 which arise from them. 



The sword fish is the other of the whales ene- 

 mies, and joins with the thrasher to destroy that 

 monster. After they have overcome him, they 

 eat his tongue, as I said before, and the whale 

 drives ashore. 



Crampois is a large fish, and by some accoun- 

 ted a young whale ; but it is not so ; neither is 

 it more than twenty-five or thirty feet long. They 

 spout as the whale does, and when taken, yield 

 good oil. 



Bottle noses are between the crampois and por- 

 pois, and lie near the soundings. They are never 

 seen to swim leisurel}^, as sometimes all other fish 

 do, but are continually running after their j^rey in 

 great shoals, like wild horses, leaping now and 

 then above the water. The French esteem them 

 good food, and eat them both fresh and salt. 



Porpoises are frequent all over the ocean and 

 rivers that are salt; nay, we have a fresh water 

 lake in the great sound of Korth Carolina that has 

 porpoises in it and several sorts of other unknown 



Al2 



