136 



NATURAL HISTORY of N R WA Y. 



Melancholy 

 accident. 



Marfvin. 



them, are very fond of human flefh. It is faid, that if a 

 naked man fwimming in the fea happens to fall in with a fhoal 

 of Mackarel, they will devour him in an inftant. It happened 

 very lately, that a failor, who belonged to a {hip in Laurkulen 

 harbour, who went into the water to wafh himfelf, was all on a 

 fudden miffed, to the furprize of his (hip mates : in two minutes 

 time he rofe to the furface of the water all over bloody, and vaft 

 numbers of Mackarel fattened upon him, which they could hardly 

 force to quit their hold ; and when they did it was too late, for the 

 poor creature, without doubt, expired in great agonies. Willoughby 

 obferves, Lib iv. §. vi. p. 101, that this Fifh has no air-bladder 

 under the back ; this is fb much the more remarkable, becaufe, 

 as has been faid already, they fwim extreamly quick. His 

 words are, " Ex fcombris olim Garum conflciebatur lauda- 

 tiflimum." Plin. Lib. xxxi. c. 8. " Garum ex fcombris & coliis 

 apud Byzantinos fieri folere nunc dierum intelligo, referente Bel- 

 lonio." This Garum is what the Italians call Caviar, otherwife 

 made of Sturgeon's roe. Thefe Fifh are found in the waters 

 near Aflbw, and the Caviar is at a great expence tranfported 

 from Ruffia to Italy. It is afferted, however, that the roe of 

 Mackarel is ufed for Caviar in the Mediterranean, according to the 

 teftimony above cited. If this be true, why might it not be 

 ufed here for the fame purpofe, rather than thrown away, as it 

 cbnftantly is in many places, where they catch them in abundance, 

 and pickle them as we do Herrings. The method of making 

 Caviar may be comprifed in a few words: they wafh off all the 

 blood and (lime from the roe with vinegar, and take away the 

 finews and fkins that are about it ; then they fpread it for a little 

 time to dry : after this they fait it, and hang it up in a net, that 

 the moifture may drop from it. When all this is done, they lay 

 it in a fieve or cullendar, till it is thoroughly dry, and fit for ufe. 

 The Italians pay a very great price for this delicacy. 



The Marfvin, or PorpefTe, which is called here Nile, and alfo 

 Tumler, the Tumbler, becaufe it is always feen rolling up and 

 down, is a fat Fifh, about feven feet long, fhaped like a fmall 

 Whale, excepting the tail, which is broad, and does not ftand 

 horizontally like that of the Whale. Its mouth is like the fnout 

 of a hog, but fhort, and its eyes fmall : it has a great many teeth, 

 and thofe very fharp. The tongue is thick and round, andfo 

 long that it hangs out of its mouth. Its fkin is very thin, 

 fmooth, and of a black colour ; and feels as hard as bone.^ Under 

 this fkin lies the fat about two inches thick, out of which they 

 melt train oil.. The flefh is not regarded, unlefs it be by trie 



poorer 



