104, I heHijlory of booK L 



the body : His head hath fome refeniblance to that of a Cow, 

 whence fome took occafion to call him the Sea-Cow : He hath 

 fmall eyes, and a thick (kin of a dark colour, wrinkled in 

 fome places and (tuck with fome fmall hairs: Being dried it 

 grows fo hard that it may ferve for a Buckler againft the Ar- 

 rows of the Indians 5 nay fome of the Savages ufeit toward 

 off the blows of their enemies when they go to fight : They 

 v have no fins, but inftead thereof they have under their bellies 



two (hort feet, each whereof hath four fingers very weak to 

 fuppOrt the weight of fo heavy a body 5 nor hath he any other 

 defensive. This Fifh lives on the grafs and herbage that grows 

 about the Rocks , and on the (hallow places that have not 

 much above a fathom of Sea-water. The Females are dilbur- 

 then'd of their young ones much after the lame manner as Cows 

 are, and they have two teats wherewith they fuckle them*" 

 They bring forth two at a time, which forfake not the old one 

 till fuch time as they have no longer need of milk, and can 

 feed on the grafs as the do^s. 



Of all Fifties there is nor any hath fo much good meat as the 

 Lamantin^ for many times there needs but two or three to 

 load a great Canow 5 and this meat is like that of a Land-crea- 

 ture, eating {hort, of a Vermilion colour, not cloying or ful- 

 fom, andmixt with fat, which being melted never grows mu- 

 fty .* It is much more wbolfom eaten two or three days after it 

 hath been laid in fait then frefti .* Thefe Fifh are more common- 

 ly taken at rhe entrance of frefh-water Rivers then in the Sea. 

 Some highly value certain fmall (tones found in t v ;e heads of 

 thefe Monfters,as having the vertue redue'd to powder to clear 

 the Reins of Gravel, and difiolve the Stone bredi there : But 

 the Remedy being violent, I (hould not advifc any toufe it 

 without the prel'cription of an experiene'd Phyfitian. 



WHALES and other Sea-Monjlers. 



SLIch as Sail into thefe Iflands do (bmetimes in their Courfe 

 meet with Whales which cad: up water by their Vent to a 

 Pikes height, and commonly (hew but a little of their back.> 

 which looks like a rock above the- water. 



The Ships are alfo many times attended for a good way by 

 certain Monfters about the bignefsof a Shallop, which feem to 

 take a pleafure in (hewing themielves : Some Sea-men call them 

 Sonffleurs, that is, Blowers, for that ever and anon thefe prodigi- 

 ous fifties put up fome part of their head above water to take 

 breath } and then they blow, andcaufe a great agitation of the 

 waters with their (harp inputs : Some hold them to be a kind 

 of Porpofis. 



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