But as men of this description have generally too large appetites, and
capacious stomachs to be satisfied with "such small deer," they prefer
larger fish, especially sharks, numbers of which they caught, during
their voyage, with an iron hook many pounds weight. Sharks generally
follow ships, and swallow whatever is thrown out of them, whether it be
dead bodies or any other filthy trash. They are of such vast size and
weight, that twelve stout sailors are scarce sufficient to drag one with
a rope from the sea into the ship. Nor should you be surprized at this,
for a shark is about nine feet long, and three or more wide. Its horrid
jaws, which contain a triple row of serrated triangular teeth, are
prepared to tear any thing. It has a fierce, and ever watchful look. It
is covered with very rough skin of various colours. Whenever a shark was
taken and gutted by the sailors, its stomach presented a ridiculous
spectacle; it looked like a broker's shop full of all sorts of trumpery.
In it we found worn out garments, old drawers, hats, whole fowls, and
whatever had been thrown by the sailors into the sea. When I found this,
I always suspended stones, or cannon balls, to human bodies before I
committed them to the waves, that they might sink to the bottom, lest
floating on the surface, they should be torn to pieces by sharks. The
flesh of this fish, though very white, was tasted by none but hungry
sailors; though the females are despised by them even. One, which I had
seen them take with immense labour, they threw back into the sea, on
discovering its sex. I cannot tell why they make this distinction. The
Abipones roast and eat female locusts, but loathe and reject the males,
for reasons known to themselves alone.