228 Pearls, 



holding the breath under water, sometimes a quarter 

 of an hour or longer, and that these poor slaves 

 may the better endure it, they feed them with dry 

 meats and in a little quantity, avarice putting them 

 upon these abstinences, but besides this, they put 

 upon their nose little pincers made of buffalo's horn, 

 which stoppeth their nostrils, they stuffe their ears 

 with cotton wool. Others hold oil in their mouths, 

 especially those who cannot hold their breath long. 

 Others hold their mouth under their armpits, and 

 after that manner breathe two or three times under 

 water. There is a sack of stones or sand tied to 

 each of their feet to make them sink straight to 

 the bottom, and another bag tied to their waist, to 

 put their oysters in. There is a cord fastened under 

 their armpits held by them who remain in the boat, 

 and they under water hold another cord in their 

 hands, which they draw to give notice to those in 

 the boat that they can now hold their breath no 

 longer, and that they must draw them up quickly. 



"When they have found a thousand or two of 

 these oysters, they sell them at adventure, without 

 knowing what is within them. The meat of the 

 oyster is without relish, and of very ill digestion, and 

 is so far from being so good to eat as the meat of 

 our oysters from Spain, or those of England, that the 

 very fisherman disdain them, and seldom eat any 



