^54 A VOYAGE TO BookVIIL 



on the outfide, and of a dark brown colour; and, 

 next to the preceding, makes the beft lime. 



All theie fpecies of fhell-fifh are found at the 

 bottom of the fea in four, fix, ten and twelve fathom 

 water. They are caught by drags ; and what is very 

 remarkable is, that no fhells, either the fame, or that 

 have any refemblance to them, are feen either on the 

 fhores continually waflied by the fea, or on thofe tracks 

 which have been overflowed by an extraordinary tide* 

 They adhere to a fea plant, called Cochayuyo lake 

 herb, the Indians making no nominal diftindions be- 

 tween the inland lakes, and the fea, calling both 

 cochas. This plant refembles the bejuco ; its diame- 

 ter is about half an inch, and from its root to its ex- 

 tremity of an equal thicknefs. In length is from 

 twenty to thirty toifes, producing at every eighteen 

 inches, or fomething more, a leaf about a yard and a 

 half, or two yards in length ; but the breadth, which 

 is in every part the fame, does not exceed two or three 

 inches. It is remarkably fmooth, which, together 

 with a vifcid liquor, with which it is covered, gives it 

 a very fine glofs. The fame may be faid of the ilem^ 

 which is extremely flexible, and flrong. Its colour 

 is of a pale green, but that of the leaves more vivid. 

 This plant divides itfelf into feveral branches, equal 

 in dimenfions to the main flem. Thefc branches fuc- 

 ceffively produce others of the fame proportion ; fo 

 that the produce of one fingle root covers a prodigious 

 Ipace. At the joints where the branches fpring, are 

 found this kind of fhell-fifh, where they both receive 

 their nourilhment, and propagate their fpecies. The 

 extremities of thefe Cochayuyos, float on the furface, 

 and in fome lakes, where the water has remained a long 

 time undifturbed, form a kind of carpet. At the 

 junftion of the (talk of every leaf with the flem, is 

 a berry refembling a caper, but fomething larger, 

 fmooth and gloflTy on the furface, and exactly of 

 the fame colour with the ilem. 



The 



