§2 An Hijîorlcal Journal of 



others, though I have feen many of them playing in the Port 

 qf ^ebec. They feldom go higher than this City, but there 

 are many on the Coafts of Acadia, as well as of the firft Kind ; 

 fo that the Difference of their Colour does not proceed from the 

 Difference of the fait and frefh Water. The white Porpoifes 

 yield a Hoglhead of Oil, and this Oil is little different from 

 that of the Seals : I never faw any Perfon who had eaten the 

 Flelh of this Animal ; but as to the Black Porpoife, they fay, that 

 they are not bad eating: They make Puddings and Chitterlings of 

 their Entrails, the Harflet is excellent in Fricaffee, and the Head 

 better than that of a Sheep, but not fogood as a Calf's. 



The Skins of both Sorts are tan'd like Mcrocco Leather. At 

 , . firft it is foft like Fat, and is an Inch thick, 

 . V they fcrape it a long Time, and it becomes 



like a tranfparent Leather ; and how thin 

 foeverit is, even fo as to be fit for Waiftcoats and Breeches, 

 it is always very ftrong and Proof againfl a Muiket Ball. There 

 are fome eighteen Feet long, and nine wide ; they fay that there 

 is nothing better to cover the Tops of Coaches. They have 

 lately eftablifhed two Fifheries below ^ebec for Porpoifes, one in 

 the Bay of St. Paul, and the other feven or eight Leagues lower, 

 over-againft a Habitation called Camoura/ca, from the Name of 

 certain Rocks that rife confiderably above the Water. The Ex- 

 pences are not great ; and the Profits would be confiderable, if 

 the Porpoifes were Animals fettled in a Place : But either 

 through Inilindl, or Caprice, they often break the Meafures of 

 the Fifhermen, and take another Route than that where they 

 wait for them. Moreover, thefe Fiiheries> which would only en- 

 rich fome few Perfons, have occafioned an Inconvenience which 

 made the common People complain ; which is, that they have 

 greatly diminiihed the Eel Fifhery, which is a great Help to the 

 poor Inhabitants. For the Porpoifes, finding themfelves dif- 

 turbed below ^ebec, are retired to fome other Place ; and the 

 Eels, finding no longer thefe great Fifh in their Way, which 

 obliged them to return back, go down the River without any 

 Hindrance ; whence it happens, that between ^ebec and Trois 

 Rivieres, where they took a prodigious Number every Year, they 

 nowfcarce take any. 



The Way of filhing for Porpoifes is much the fame as that 

 I have been mentioning for Seals. When the Tide is out, they 

 fet Stakes in the Mud, or Sand, pretty near one another, and 

 they faften Nets to them in the Shape of Funnels, the Opening 

 of which is pretty large, and made in fuch a Manner, that when 

 once the Fifh has entered, he can't find his Way out again. 

 They take Care to put upon the Tops of the Stakes Branches 

 of Greens. When the Tide rifes, thefe Fifh giving Chace to 



Her- 



