I30 A VOYAGE TO Book III. 



These Negroes cannot every day make up their 

 number, as in many of the oyfters the pearl is not at 

 all, or but imperfectly formed •, or the oyfter is dead, 

 whereby the pearl is lo damaged, as to be of no value ; 

 and as no allov/ance is made for fuch pearls, they mufl 

 make up their numbers with others. 



Besides the toil of this fifliery, from the oyfters 

 ftrongly adhering to the rocks, they are alfo in no fmali 

 danger from fom.e kinds of fi(h, which either ieize the 

 Negroes, or, by ftriking on them, crulh them by their 

 weight attain it the bottom. So that thefe creatures 

 feem to know that men are robbing them of the moft 

 valuable produd of their element, and therefore make 

 a vigorous defence againft their enemy. The fifhery 

 on the whole coail is obnoxious to the fame danger 

 from thefe fiili ; but they are much more frequent 

 where fuch riches abound. The fl^arks, and tin- 

 toreras, which are of an enormous' fize, feed on 

 the bodies of thefe unfortunate fifhermen and the 

 mantas, or quilts, either prefs them to death by 

 wrapping their hns about them, or crufh them againft 

 the rocks by their prodigious weight. The nam.e 

 nv.mra has not been improperly given to this filh, 

 Cither with regard to its figure or property •, for be- 

 ing broad and long like a quilt, it wraps its fins round 

 a man, or any other animal that happens to come 

 within its reach, and immediately fqueezes it to death. 

 This nfli refembies a thornback in fhape, but is pro- 

 dio;iouQy larp-er. 



Every Negro, to defend himfelf againft thefe ani- 

 mals, carries with him a fharp knife, with which, if 

 the Bfh offers to affault him, he endeavours to ftrike it 

 in a part where it has no power to hurt him ; on which 

 the 511i immediately flies. The officers keep a watch- 

 ful eye on thefe voracious creatures, and, on difcover- 

 ing them, (hake the ropes faftened to the Negroes 

 b jdies, that they may be upon their guard ; many, on 

 the divers being in danger, have tiirown themfelves 



into 



