THE LUMP. 14 J 



back a fourth. It has two peftoral, a doifal, and an a- 

 nal fin ; the eyes are covered with a lax fkin, the irides 

 of a|i)ale red ; the lips are thick, fat, and ruddy ; the o- 

 rifices of the nofe appear one on each fide, raifed a- 

 bove the furface of the reft of the flcin *. 



The lump filh is caught on feveral parts of the BritiJJj 

 coafts ; and though its flefli is held in no great eftimation, 

 it is frequently feen for fale in the London market. The 

 great refort of this fpecies, is the north fea upon the coafts 

 of Greenland. While it prowls upon the top,|the feals fwarm 

 beneath, watching an opportunity to devour it, Infi'iite 

 numbers fall a prey to thefe animals, who fwallow all 

 but the ikin ; vaft quantities of which, thus emptied by 

 the feals. are feen floating above during the fpring months, 

 when the fuckers approach near the land, for the purpofe 

 of depofiting their fpawn. Every diftrift where the feals 

 carry on their depredation, is eafily diftinguiflied by the 

 failors, on account of the fmoothnefs of the water : 

 Wherever any oily fifh has been devoured below, the 

 water at the top becomes tranquil, it being uniformlj 

 found to be a property of oil to calm the agitation of the 

 waves f . 



The Inhabitants of the barren trails of Greenland.^ who 

 are obliged to draw a great part of their fuftenance from 

 the fea, avail themfelves alfo of this fifh ; the roe is re- 

 markably large, and in the fumnner months they take 

 them on account of it ; when boiied,it forms an extremely 

 fat, oily food ; a kind of repaft, of which the necelfities 

 of the Greenlavders have rendered them exceedingly 

 fond t. 



* wrioufrh pa^e %o%. f Phil. Tranf. 1774. p. 445, 



\ Craata's Hili. Greenland. 



