Cap. XXI. The Caribby-lflands. 137 



How the Tortoifes and other great Fzft/cs are taken 

 in the Caribbies. 



THe Sea-Tortoifes arc not only taken upon the fand, as we 

 ihew'd before 3 but alfo by means of an Inftrument., 

 which is a pole about the length of a half-pike, at the end 

 whereof there is faften'd a nail pointed at both ends, which is 

 fquareinthe midft, and about the bignefsof a mans little fin- 

 ger : Some make notches on that fide of it which ftands out of 

 the wood, that it may take fafter hold when it is entred into the 

 (hell of theTortoife. 



In the night time, the Moon mining and the Sea calm, the 

 Mafter-fiftier being in a little boat with two others, one at the 

 oar to turn it of any fide as fait as ever he can, that the boat 

 may go much fafter and with left noife then if it were row 'd *, 

 the other is in the midft of the Canow or Boat, holding the 

 line which is faften'd to the nail, and in a readinefs to draw it 

 it as loon as the inftrument hath done execution on the 

 Tortoife. 



Being thus provided, they go where they think to find of 

 them 5 and when the Mafter-fiftier, who ftands up on the fore- 

 part of the Canow, perceives one of them by the glittering of 

 the Sea, which by getting up ever and anon to the face of the 

 water it caufeth to foam, he directs him who guides the little 

 veffel to make to the place where he would have him, and be- 

 ing gently got neer theTortoife, he violently darts the inftru- , 

 ment into its back.* The nail piercing the (hell, gets alfo a 

 good way into the flefti, and the wood keeps up above the wa- 

 ter : As foon as the fifti finds it felf hurt,it finks down to the bot- 

 tom with the nail fticking faft in the (hell : And the more it 

 ftrives and ftruggles, the more it is entangled. At laft having 

 Wearied it felf, and fpent its forces in ftriving by reafon of its 

 lofs of blood, it fuffers it felf to be eafily taken, and is either 

 taken into the Canow, or drawn to thelhore. 



After the fame manner they alfo take Lamantins^ and feveral 

 other great fifties , but infteadof the nail there is put into the 

 wooden inftrument a great hook, or a fmall dart of iron made 

 like that of a {harp lance : On one fide of that piece of iron 

 there is a hole, through which there pafleth a line, which is al- 

 io woond about the dart, fo that when it is darted into the fifh 3 

 the line eafily is let loofe, that it may have the liberty to tum- 

 ble up and down in the water, and when it hath fpent its forces., 

 and redue'd to extremity, if it cannot be gotten into the Ca- 

 now, it is eafily drawn to the ftiore, where they divide it into 

 quarters. 



T 



Land- 



