(€25) 
At the heads of the Rivers there are Sturgeon.^nd in the Creeks 
are great ftore of ftnall filh, as Perches^ Growers, taylors, Eels, and 
divers others whofe names I know not. Here are fuch plenty of 
Oyjlers as they may load lliips with them. At the mouth of Elizabeth 
River, when it is a low water , they appear in rocks a foot above 
water. There are alfo in fome places great ftore of Mufcles and 
Cockles ; there is alfo a fifli called a Smg-ray , which much refein« 
bletha S^^^^, only on one fide of his tayl grows out a fliarp bone 
like a bodkin about four or five inches long, with which heftrikes 
and wounds other fifb,and then preys upon them. 
And now it comes into ray mind, I Hall here infert an account 
of a very ftrange Fifli or rather a Monfter,which I happened to fee 
in Rapa hm-mck K'ivQic about a year before I came out of the 
Country ; the manner of it was thus : ^ 
As 1 was coming down the forementioned River in a Sloop 
bound for the Bay, it happened to prove calm^ at which time we 
were three leagues fiiorc of the rivers mouth;the tide of ebb being 
then done,the floop-man dropped his grap-line, and he and his boy 
tot)kaTittle boat belonging to the floop,in which they went affioar 
for waterjeavingme aboard alone, in which time I took afuiali 
book out of my pocket and fate down at the ftern of the veffel to 
read ; but I had not read long before I heard a great rufliing and 
flafliingof the water, whichcaufedmefuddenly tolookup, and 
about half a ftones caft from me appeared a moft prodigious Crea- 
ture,much refemblinga man, only fomewhat larger, ftanding right 
up in the water with his head,neck,fliouIders,brean-,and wafte, to 
the cubits of his arms,above water^his skin was tawny, much like 
that of ^uMia^'j thefigureof his head was pyramidal, and flicks, 
without hair ; his eyes large and black,and fo were his eye-brows ; 
his mouth very wide, with a broad^black flreak on the upper lip, 
which turned upwards at each end like muftachoes^his countenance 
was grim and terriblejhis neck,flioulders5arms,breaft and waft, were 
like unto the neck, arms, fiioulders,br^aft and waft of a man 3 his 
Aands,if he had any,were under watejr ; he feemed to ftand wi'th his 
«yes fixed on me for fome time, andafterward dived down, and a 
little after rifeth at fomewhat a farther diftancesSnd turned his head 
towards me again,and then immediately falleth a little under water, 
and fwimmeth.away fo near the top of the water, that I could dif- 
ccrn him throw out his arms,and gather them in as a man doth \\ hen 
he rwimmeth.Atlaft hefhoots with his head downwards,by which 
means he caft his tayl above the water, which exaflly refem- 
Mmram 2 bled 
