242 
CEAB-POND. 
and the flies were innumerable, a handsome Musca, 
of a metallic green hue, with brassy reflections. No 
shelter was near from the scorching sun, which was un- 
mitigated by a cloud, and reflected up from the coral 
sand of dazzling whiteness. We removed the skin, 
however, and transferred it to Bluefields across the back 
of a horse, by the afternoon ; hut the sun was dipping 
in the western sea by the time the cutaneous muscles 
were removed. I strewed the interior with pounded 
alum, and then with wood-ashes, and the next day 
stuffed it, and suspended it from a tree to dry. 
This fish is sought only for the liver, which is not 
a very important item, as that of such a fish as I 
have described will not yield more than a gallon of 
oil : it is of a fishy smell, and is used only for burn- 
ing. The animal, however, sometimes occurs of much 
larger size, attaining the length of twelve feet or 
more. It is seen, though rarely, at all times of the 
year, in deep water ; but in the month of October, 
it is said to resort to the shallows ; that is to say, 
the outer side of a shelving bar, which girds the coast 
in some situations, a1^ a short distance from the shore. 
The fishermen say the Nurse comes to sleep on the 
sandy bottom, and that when one has once been seen 
in a particular locality, they calculate with certainty 
on finding it there again. The fish is seen lying 
motionless, or as they say, asleep, on the bottom, for 
many hours at a time. 
It is when lying thus, heedless of what is going on 
above them, that these Sharks are struck with the 
harpoon, dragged to the surface, and then, the 
bight of a rope having been passed around the body, 
