i68 A VOYAGE TO Book IV, 



of <3uayaquiL The fait is not the fineft, but re- 

 markably compacl, and anfwers very well the principal 

 intention, that of faltino; flefii. 



On the coaft belorig;ing to this lieutenancy is found 

 that exquifite purple, fo highly efieemed among the 

 ancients ; but the fifli, from which it was taken, having 

 been either unknown or forgotten, many moderns have 

 imagined the fpecies to be extindl. This colour, how- 

 ever, is found in the fpecies of fhell fifli, growing on 

 the rocks wafhed by the fea. They are fomething 

 larger than ?i nut, and are replete with a juice, proba- 

 bly the blood, which, when expreffed, is the true pur- 

 ple ; for if a thread of cotton, or any thing of a fimilar 

 kind, be dipt in this liquor, it becomes of a moft vivid 

 colour, vvdiich repeated wafliings are fo far from 

 obliterating, that they rather improve it •, nor does it 

 fade by wearmg. The jurifdidion of the port of 

 Nicoya, in the province of Guatemala, alfo affords this 

 fpecies of turbines, the juice of vv'hich is alfo ufed in 

 dying cotton threads, and, in feveral parts, for rib- 

 bands, laces, and other ornaments, Stuffs died with 

 this purple ^are alfo highly valued. This precious 

 juice is extradied by different methods. Some take 

 the fifh out of its fiiell, and, laying it on the back of 

 their hand, prefs it with a knife from the head to th^ 

 \tail, feparating that part of the body into which the 

 ccmpreiTion has forced the juice, and throw away 

 the reft. In this manner they proceed till they have 

 provided themfelves with a fufficient quantity. Then 

 they draw the threads through the liquor, which is the 

 whole procefs. But the purple tinge does not imme- 

 diately appear, the juice being at hrft of a milky co- 

 lour ; it then changes to green ; and, iaftly, into this 

 celebrated purple. Others purfue a different method 

 in extracting the colour ; for they neither kill the 

 fifh, nor take it entirely out of its Ihell; but fqueeze 

 it fo hard as to exprefs a juice, with which they dye the 

 |;l]r^ad, and afterwards replace fifh on the rock 



