'THE SWORD FISH. I7I 



down and pierces it with a fpear ; this inftrument being 

 faftened to a rope, the animal is allowed to flruggle till it 

 is overcome with fatigue and pain, when it is either taken 

 up into the veffel, or drawn alliore, according to the lize 

 of the fifti *. 



The flefh of this animal is whiter than that of the tun- 

 ny, nourilhing and not unpleafant in its flavour. The 

 inhabitants of Sicily reckon it one of the firft delicacies, 

 equal to the fturgeon, and purchafe it frequently at the 

 price of fixpence the Englifh pound f . 



There is another fiih nearly allied to the above, which 

 is peculiar to the American leas, and called by the Brw 

 miliafis guebucu J. The fnout is ftiarp, bony and hard ; 

 its length is fixteen inches, the lower jaw reaching above 

 one half of that fpace. The length of this fpecies is four 

 feet, and its thicknefs one 5 it is diftinguilhed by two 

 remarkable 1 ong bony fubftances, refembling a rod, in 

 the place of its ventral fins, which it has the power of 

 folding down into a kind of furrow made in the belly 

 for their reception ; the dorfal fin is three feet long, and 

 capable of being hid in the fame manner. 



* Vide Strabo. Lib. i. apud WJI. 



t Willough. page 163. \ Idem ubi fupfa. 



Ya 



