Cap. X VIII. T^Canbbyjflands. 



CHAP. XVIII. 



A particular Defcription of the Sea-Unicorn which was 

 cafi afljore at the Haven of the Tortoife-Ifland, in 

 the Tear 1 644. and a pleafant Relation, by way of Di- 

 greffion, of fever al beautiful and rare Horns brought 

 lately from Davis-ftreight \ with an account of the 

 Country y and the Difpofitions of the Inhabitants. 



WE cannot better conclude the Account we had to 

 give of the Sea-monfters, then with a defcription ot 

 to remarkable and miraculous aFilh, as may juftly 

 deferve a particular Chapter to treat of it * It is the Sea-Vni- 

 corn^ .which is fometimes feen in thofe parts. There was caft 

 alhore, in the year 1644. a prodigious one, ontheCoaftof the 

 Tortoife-tjland , neer Hijpaniola: Monfieur du Montel^ having 

 been an eye-witnefs thereof, gives us this curious defcripti- 

 on of it. 



. "This Vmcortt) faith he, was purfuing a Carangue, or fome 

 <£ other lelTerfifti, withfuch earneftnefs and impetuofity, that 

 <c not considering that it needed a greater depth of water then 

 w the other, it ftuck with half the body dry on a iand-bank 5 

 " whence it could not recover the deeper waters ere it was de» 

 cc ftroy'd by the Inhabitants : It was about eighteen foot in 

 " length, being at the largeft part of its body about the big- 

 c < nefs of a great Barrel : It had fix great fins like the ends of 

 cc Galley-oars, whereof two were placed neer the gills, anct 

 cc the other four on the fides of the belly at equal diftances^ 

 cc they were of a Vermilion red colour: all the upper part of 

 <e the body was cover'd with great fcales about the bigntfs of a 

 <e Crown-piece, which were of a blew colour intermixt with 

 " certain fpangles of fiiver : neer the neck the fcales were clo- 

 ser, and of a dark colour, feeming as it were a collar: The 

 "(bales under the belly were yellow} the tail forked, the 

 <e head fomewhat bigger then that of a horfe, and neer the fame 

 ct figure : It was cover'd with a hard and dark colour'd fkin 5 

 cc and as the Land-Unicorn hath one horn in his forehead, fo 

 " this Sea-Unicorn had a very fair one iffuing out of the fore- 

 " part of his head,about nine foot and a half in length : it was as 

 "irrait as could be, and from the place whence it came out it 

 "grew fmaller and fmaller to the very point, which was fo 

 " fliarp, that being thruft hard it would enter into wood or 

 " ftone, or fome more folid fubftance : It was at the place where 

 " it came out of the head about fixteen inches about , and 

 ''from thence to two thirds of the length it wa9 likeafcrew, 



P 2 "or 



