Purchas his pilgrimes. part 3 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

Of Fishes, and of the manner of fishing.

IN the Sea coasts of the firme Land, there are diuers and sundrie kindes of fishes, much diffe∣ring in shape and forme. And although it be impossible to speake of all, yet will I make men∣tion of some. And first to begin at Sardines, you shall vnderstand that there is found a kinde of these fishes very large and with red tailes, being a very delicate fish. The best kindes of other fishes are these, Moxarre, Diabace, Brettes, Dabaos, Thornbacks, and Salmons: All these, and [ 60] diuers▪ other which I doe not now remember, are taken in great quantitie in Riuers. There are likewise taken very good Cre••ishes. There are also found in the Sea, certaine other fishes, as Soles, Mackerels,* 1.1 Turbuts, Palamite, Lazze, Polpi, Chieppe, Xaibas, Locusts, Oisters, exceeding great Tortoises, and Tiburoni of maruellous bignesse: also Manates, and Murene, and many other fishes,

which haue no names in our language, and these of such diuersitie and quantitie, as cannot bee expressed without large writing and long time. But to let passe to intreate particularly of the multitude of fishes, I intend to speake chiefly, and somewhat largely, of three sorts of most no∣table fishes: whereof the first is, the great Tortoises, the second is called Tiburon, and the third Manate. And to begin at the first, I say that in the Iland of Cuba,* 1.2 are found great Tortoises (which are certaine shell fishes) of such bignesse that ten or fifteene men are scarsly able to lift one of them out of the water, as I haue beene informed of credible persons dwelling in the same Iland. But of that which I my selfe haue seene, I can testifie, that in the firme Land, in the vil∣lage of Acla, there are of this sort some taken and killed of such bignesse, that sixe men with much difficultie could scarsly draw them out of the water, and commonly the least sort of them [ 10] are as ••uch as two men may carry at a burden: that which I saw lifted vp by sixe men, had her shell a yard and a quarter in length, and in breadth more then fiue yards. The manner of taking them, is this: It sometimes chanceth that in their great nets (which they call shoote nets) there are found certaine Tortoises of the common sort, in great quantities, and when they come out of the Sea, and bring forth their egges, and goe together by companies from the Sea, to feede on the Land, the Christians or Indians follow their steps which they finde in the Sand, and soone ouer∣take them, because they are very heauie and slow in going, although they make all the haste they can to returne to the Sea, assoone as they espy any body. When they that pursue them haue o∣uertaken them, they put a stake or staffe vnder their legs, and ouerturne them on their backs as [ 20] they are yet running, so that they can goe no further, nor yet rise againe or turne, and thus they suffer them to lye still while they follow after the rest, which they ouerturne in like manner: and by this meanes take very many, at such times as they come forth of the Sea, as I haue said: This fish is very excellent and wholesome to be eaten, and of good taste.

The second of the three fishes whereof I haue spoken, is the Tiburon: this is a very great fish,* 1.3 and very quick and swift in the water, and a cruell Deuourer: these are oftentimes taken, aswell when the ships are vnder saile in the Ocean, as also when they lye at anker, or at any other time, and especially the least kinde of these fishes. When the ships are vnder saile, the biggest sort are taken after this manner. When the Tiburon seeth the ship sayling, hee followeth it swimming behind, the which things the Mariners seeing, cast forth all the filth of the ship into the Sea for [ 30] the fish to eate, who neuerthelesse followeth them with equall pase, although they make neuer such haste with full winde and sailes, and walloweth on euery side and about the ship, and thus followeth it sometime for the space of a hundred and fiftie leagues, and more, and when the Ma∣riners are disposed to take them, they cast downe by the sterne of the ship a hooke of Iron, as bigge as the biggest finger of a mans hand, of three spans in length, and crooked like a fish-hooke, with beards according to the bignesse thereof, and fastned to an Iron chaine of fiue or sixe linkes neere vnto the end, and from thence tyed with a great rope, fastning also on the hooke for a bait, a piece of some fish, or hogs flesh, or some other flesh, or the bowels and intrals of another Tibu∣ron which they haue taken before, which may easily be done, for I haue seene nine taken in one day, and if they would haue taken more, they might also. Thus when the Tiburon hath pleasant∣ly [ 40] followed the ship a long voyage, at the length he swalloweth the bait with the hooke, and aswell by his striuing to flee or escape, as also by the swift passage of the ship, the hooke ouer∣thwarteth and catcheth hold of his chaps: the which fish when it is taken, it is of such huge bignesse, that twelue or fifteene men are scarsly able to draw it out of the water, and lift it into the ship, where one of the Mariners giueth it many knocks on the head with a club or beetle, vntill he haue slaine it: they are sometimes found of ten or twelue foote long, and of fiue, sixe, or seuen spans in breadth, where they are broadest: they haue very great and wide mouthes, to the proportion of the rest of their bodies, and haue two rowes of teeth, the one somewhat separate from the other, of cruell shape, and standing very thicke. When they haue slaine this fish, they cut the body thereof in small pieces, and put it to drie, hanging it three or foure dayes at the [ 50] Cordes of the saile clothes to drie in the winde, and then eate it: It is doubtlesse a good fish, and of great commoditie to serue the ships for victualls for many dayes: the least of these fishes are most wholesome and tender,* 1.4 it hath a skin much like to the skin of a Sole whereunto the said Ti∣buron is like in shape: Which I say, because Plinie hath made mention of none of these three fishes, among the number of them whereof he writeth in his Naturall historie. These Tiburons come forth of the Sea, and enter into the Riuers, where they are no lesse perillous then great Li∣zards or Crocodiles, whereof I haue spoken largely before: For they deuoure Men, Kine,* 1.5 and Hor∣ses, euen as doe the Crocodiles: they are very dangerous in certaine washing places or Pooles by the Riuers sides, and where they haue deuoured at other times. Diuers other fishes both great and small, of sundrie sorts and kindes, are accustomed to follow the ships going vnder saile, of the [ 60] which I will speake somewhat when I haue written of Manate,* 1.6 which is the third of the three whereof I haue promised to entreat. Manate therefore, is a fish of the Sea, of the biggest sort, and much greater then the Tiburon in length and breadth, and is very brutish and vile, so that it appeareth in forme like vnto one of those great vessels made of Goats skins, wherein they vse to carry new wine in Medina de Campo, or in Areualo: the head of this beast is like the head of an

Oxe, with also like eyes, and hath in the place of armes, two great stumps wherwith he swim∣meth: It is a very gentle and tame beast, and commeth oftentimes out of the water to the next shoare, where if he finde any herbes or grasse, he feedeth thereof. Our men are accustomed to kill many of these, and diuers other good fishes, with their Crosse-bowes, pursuing them in Barkes or Canoas, because they swim in manner aboue the water: the which thing when they see, they draw them with a hooke tyed at a small corde, but somewhat strong: As the fish fleeth away, the Archer letteth goe, and prolongeth the corde by little and little, vntill he haue let it goe many fa∣thoms: at the end of the corde, there is tyed a corke, or a piece of light wood, and when the fish is gone a little way, and hath coloured the water with his bloud, and feeleth himselfe to faint and draw toward the end of his life, he resorteth to the shoare, and the Archer followeth, gathe∣ring [ 10] vp his corde, whereof while ••here yet remaine sixe or eight fathoms, or somewhat more or lesse, he draweth it toward the Land, and draweth the fish therewith by little and little, as the waues of the Sea helpe him to doe it the more easily: then, with the helpe of the rest of his com∣panie, he lifteth this great beast out of the Water to the Land, being of such bignesse, that to conuey it from thence to the Citie, it shall be requisite to haue a Cart with a good yoke of Oxen, and sometimes more, according as these fishes are of bignesse, some being much greater then o∣ther some in the same kinde, as is seene of other beasts: Sometimes they lift these fishes into the Canoa or Barke, without drawing them to the Land as before, for as soone as they are slaine, they flote aboue the water: And I beleeue verily that this fish is one of the best in the world to the taste, and the likest vnto flesh, especially so like vnto beefe, that who so hath not seene it whole, [ 20] can iudge it to be none other when hee seeth it in pieces then very Beefe or Veale, and is cer∣tainly so like vnto flesh, that all the men in the world may herein be deceiued: the taste likewise, is like vnto the taste of very good Veale, and lasteth long, if it be powdred: so that in fine, the Beefe of these parts, is by no meanes like vnto this. This Manate hath a certaine stone, or ra∣ther bone in his head within the braine,* 1.7 which is of qualitie greatly appropriate against the dis∣ease of the stone, if it be burnt and ground into small powder, and taken fasting in the morning when the paine is felt, in such quantitie as may lye vpon a peny, with a draught of good whi••e wine: For being thus taken three or foure mornings, it acquieteth the griefe, as diuers haue told me which haue proued it true, and I my selfe by testimonie of sight, doe witnesse that I haue seen this stone sought of diuers for this effect. [ 30]

There are also diuers other fishes as bigge as this Manate, among the which there is one called Vihnella. This fish beareth in the top of his head a sword, being on euery side full of many sharp teeth: this sword is naturally very hard and strong, of foure or fiue spans in length, and of pro∣portion according to the same bignesse: and for this cause is this fish called Spada, that is, the Sword fish. Of this kinde some are found as little as Sardines, and other so great, that two yokes of Oxen are scarsly able to draw them on a Cart.* 1.8 But whereas before I haue promised to speake of other fishes, which are taken in these Seas while the ships are vnder saile, I will not forget to speake of the Tunny,* 1.9 which is a great and good fish, and is oftentimes taken and kild with Trout speares, and hookes, cast in the water, when they play and swim about the ships. In like manner also are taken many Turbuts,* 1.10 which are very good fishes as are lightly in all the Sea. And here is [ 40] to be noted, that in the great Ocean Sea, there is a strange thing to be considered, which all that haue beene in the Indies affirme to bee true:* 1.11 And this is, that like as on the Land there are some Prouinces fertile and fruitfull, and some barren, euen so doth the like chance in the Sea: So that at some windes the ships saile fiftie, or a hundred, or two hundred leagues and more▪ without ta∣king or seeing of one fish: and againe, in the selfe same Ocean in some places, all the water is seen tremble by the moouing of the fishes, where they are taken abundantly. It commeth further to my remembrance to speake somewhat of the flying of fishes,* 1.12 which is doubtlesse a strange thing to behold, and is after this manner. When the ships saile by the great Ocean, following their viage, there riseth sometimes on the one side or on the other, many companies of certaine little fishes, of the which the biggest is no greater then a Sardine, and so diminish lesse and lesse from [ 50] that quantitie, that some of them are very little: these are called Volatori, that is, flying fishes: they rise by great companies and flocks, in such multitudes that it is an astonishment to behold them: Sometimes they rise but little from the water, and (as it chanceth) continue one flight for the space of an hundred paces, and sometimes more, or lesse, before they fall againe into the Sea, sometimes also they fall into the ships. And I remember, that on an euening when all the com∣panie in the ship were on their knees, singing Salue Regina, in the highest part of the Castle of the poope, and sailed with a full winde, there passed by vs a flocke of these flying fishes, and came so neere vs, that many of them fell into the ship, among the which, two or three fell hard by mee, which I tooke aliue in my hand, so that I might well perceiue•• that they were as bigge as Sardines, and of the same quantitie, hauing two wings or quils growing out of their sinnes, like vnto those wherewith all fishes swim in Riuers: these wings are as long as the fishes themselues. As long as [ 60] their wings are moist, they beare them vp in the aire, but assoone as they are drie, they can conti∣nue their flight no further then as I haue said before, but fall immediatly into the Sea, and so rise againe, and flie as before from place to place. In the yeere 1515. when I came first to enforme

your Maiestie of the state of the things in India, and was the yeere following in Flanders in the time of your most fortunate successe in these your Kingdomes of Arragon and Castile, whereas at that voyage I sayled aboue the Iland Bermuda, otherwise called Garza,* 1.13 being the furthest of all the Ilands that are found at this day in the world, and arriuing there at the depth of eight yards of water, and distant from the Land as farre as the shot of a piece of Ordinance, I determined to send some of the ship to Land, aswell to make search of such things as were there, as also to leaue in the Iland certaine Hogs for increase. But the time not seruing my purpose by reason of con∣trarie winde, I could bring my ship no neerer the Iland, being twelue leagues in length, and sixe in breadth, and about thirtie in circuit, lying in the three and thirtieth degree of the North side. [ 10] While I remayned here, I saw a strife and combat betweene these flying fishes, and the fishes na∣med Gilt heads, and the fowles called Sea-mewes, and Cormorants, which surely seemed vnto me a thing of as great pleasure and solace as could be deuised, while the Gilt heads swam on the brim of the water, and sometimes lifted their shoulders aboue the same, to raise the flying fishes out of the water to driue them to flight, and follow them swimming to the place where they fall, to take and eate them suddenly. Againe on the other side, the Sea-mewes and Cormorants, take ma∣ny of these flying fishes, so that by this meanes they are neither safe in the Aire,* 1.14 nor in the Wa∣ter. In the selfe same perill and danger doe men liue in this mortall life, wherein is no certaine securitie, neither in high estate, nor in lowe. Which thing surely ought to put vs in remem∣brance of that blessed and safe resting place which God hath prepared for such as loue him, who [ 20] shall acquiet and finish the trauailes of this troublesome world, wherein are so many dangers, and bring them to that eternall life where they shall finde eternall securitie and rest.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tiburons. Manates.
• * 1.2

  Great Tortoi∣ses.
• * 1.3

  Tiburons of Sharkes.
• * 1.4

  Plinie.
• * 1.5

  Crocodiles.
• * 1.6

  Manates.
• * 1.7

  The fish Ma∣nate.

  A remedie a∣gainst the stone.
• * 1.8

  The Sword fish.
• * 1.9

  Tunny.
• * 1.10

  Turbut.
• * 1.11

  Note. The Sea some∣where fertile, somewhere barren.
• * 1.12

  Flying fishes.
• * 1.13

  The Iland of Bermuda.
• * 1.14

  Not too hie for the Pie,

  Nor too low for the Crow.