A True and ExaB Hilary 



the fea may not be counted their natural home ^ for vVe fee them 

 500 leagues from any land, at Sun fetting 5 and fb it is not poflible 

 they (hould recover Land that night 5 and on the waA'es they cannot 

 reft, without great ha^zard. Ihavefeen them fometimes light, and 

 fit upon the waves, but with (uch Caution , for fear of being taktn 

 in by a fifti, as her reft is very unfefe j unlels when (lie is covered 

 by the nights dark wings. This Bird, is a kind of fea Hawk, fome- 

 what bigger than a Lanner, and of that colour 3 but of a far freer 

 wing, and of ^ longer continuance , and when (he is weary, (he find^ 

 refting places , if the Seas be Calm 5 for then the Turtles lye dnd 

 fleep upon the waves, for a long time together j and upon their backs 

 they fit, and fleep fecurely 5 and there, mute, prune, and oyl their fea- 

 thers, roufe, and do all their Offices of nature, and have room e- 

 nough for all, for fbme of thole Turtles are a yard broad in the back ; 

 we took one with our Long Boat, as he lay fleeping on the water, 

 whole body afforded all the Gentleman, and Officers of the Ship, a 

 very plentiful meal s and was the beft meat we tafted , all the time 

 we were at Sea. There are of thele kinds of Fifhes but two forts , 

 that continue in the Main 3 the Loggerhead Turtle 5 and the Hawks 

 bill Turtle, of which forts, the latter is the beft, and of that kind ours 

 was that we took. There is a third kind, called the Green Turtle, 

 which are of a lefler Magnitude, but far excelling the other two , 

 in wholefomnels, and Rarenels of tafte , but of them hereafter, for 

 I have no mind to part fo lightly , with the forenamed Birds of 

 prey ; For having been bred a Faulconer in my youth,I cannot ferut ad- 

 mire the admirable fwiftnefs of wing tbefo birds make. They 

 mount fometimes upon the trayne, to fo lofty a pitch ; asjifa Faul- 

 con were there , She might be allowed a double CanCellere in her 

 ftooping to her game : they do it at one entire down-come* Her 

 ordinary flying for her own pleafore, and not for prey, is commonly 

 more free than the beft Haggard FaulcOn, that I have ever foen b 

 but the continuance of it makes it the more admirable. At the 

 times they grow hungry, they attend the Dolphins, who are their Spa- 

 niels, and where they perceive the water to move, they Idiow they 

 are in Chafe of the flying fifli^and being near them, they ri^ like Co- 

 veys of Partridges by 12 and 16 in a Covey, and fly e as far as young 

 Partridges, that are forkers, and in their flight thefe birds make them 

 their quarry. 



Thefo frighfed fifhes, fometimes in the night havecrOfs'd ourfHip, 

 and being ftopt by the fhrowds, have fain down j and with their 

 bodies we have baited hooks, and taken their purfuers the Dolphins 5 

 which we have found very excellent meat, being drefs'd by a good 

 hand, with Wide, Spice, and fweet herbs, which we never wanted. So 

 here we have excellent ha wking,no fear oflofing our hawk, by going 

 out at Cheik, Or to a Village to Poult, and yet eat of the quarry, and 

 fometimes of the Spaniels, which is an advantage the beft Faulconers 

 mils at Land. As for the hunting here, we only fee the Chafe , but 

 differ the hounds to flefh themfelves upon the quarry, or it may be, a 

 royal fi(h, fuch a one as may fill a dilh to fiirnifli Nept^nes table, and by 

 that means We are cozen'dof our quarry. So that as I evec thought 

 on Land, I find the fame at Sea, Hawking to be the better fport. I 

 had alnloft forgot, to tell what kind of fifh this flying filhis, which is 



the 



