C 661 ) 
I took up many young Mufcles, but thefe have 
never any Pearl in them, and do think to get fome Pond 
or fmall Brook by the Rivers fide to prelerve them in, 
rather than to deftroy them unprofitably. 
The Natives, though very foul Feeders, will not eat 
the Filh,which feems to me to cut like the Oyfter,black- 
iffa green ; and were it not too great a Digreffion from 
the Subjedt, and too offenfive to good Stomachs, I could 
entertain you with their laft LentenYzxz, when Horfe- 
flefh dead of Difeafts, and the Blubber of a Whale c'afl 
up by chance, (when it would fly upon the opening of 
the Bung-hole of the Barrel like Bottle Beer) was (ought 
for, and begged for Food, fo lazy and improvident 
many of them arc. The Shell is faftned with two Car- 
tilages, one at each end, whereas the Oyfter and Scal- 
lop are with one only in the middle. The natural Po- 
fkre they keep to, neither lying on the fide, as thofe I 
faw, or fetupin the Sand like Eggs in Salt, with the 
fharp end downwards, and the opening fide turned from 
the Torrent, as the People fey, I leave to be further 
enquired into; but I faw them lying in part opened, 
and putting forth their White Fins like a Tongue out of 
the Mouth, which directs the Eye to them in the Wa- 
ter, being otherwife black as the (tones in the River. 
The backs of the Shells juft about the Hinges on which 
the Valves do open are all broken and bruifed both young 
and old, and ihew the feveral Crufts and Scales that 
make the Shell, and is caufed ( \ think till I know bet- 
ter) by the many great ftones that are driven over them 
by the Floods which are mod impetuous after any little 
Rain. 
You will obferve the in-fides of the ihells ai"e of an 
Oriental and Pearly Colour and fubftance like a flat 
Pearl, efpecially when firft opened \ and I was told by 
an ingenious Perlbn living upon the place, that he had 
obfsrved 
