In this time of contrary wind, those of my company which were in health,
recreated themselves with fishing, and beholding the hunting and hawking
of the sea, and the battell betwixt the whale and his enemies, which
truly are of no small pleasure. And therefore for the curious, I will
spend some time in declaration of them.
Ordinarily such ships as navigate betweene the tropiques, are
accompanied with three sorts of fish: the dolphin, which the Spaniards
call _dozado_; the _bonito_, or Spanish makerell; and the sharke, alias
_tiberune_.
[The dolphin.]
The dolphin I hold to be one of the swiftest fishes in the sea. He is
like unto a breame, but that he is longer and thinner, and his scales
very small. He is of the colour of the rayn-bow, and his head different
to other fishes; for, from his mouth halfe a spanne, it goeth straight
upright, as the head of a wherry, or the cut-water of a ship.[86] He is
very good meate if he be in season, but the best part of him is his
head, which is great. They are some bigger, some lesser; the greatest
that I have seene, might be some foure foote long.
I hold it not without some ground, that the auncient philosophers write,
that they be enamoured of a man; for in meeting with shipping, they
accompany them till they approach to colde climates; this I have noted
divers times. For disembarking out of the West Indies, anno 1583, within
three or foure dayes after, we mett a scole[2] of them, which left us
not till we came to the ilands of Azores, nere a thousand leagues. At
other times I have noted the like.
But some may say, that in the sea are many scoles[87] of this kinde of
fish, and how can a man know if they were the same?
Who may be thus satisfied, that every day in the morning, which is the
time that they approach neerest the ship, we should see foure, five, and
more, which had, as it were, our eare-marke; one hurt upon the backe,
another neere the tayle, another about the fynnes; which is a sufficient
proofe that they were the same; for if those which had received so bad
entertainment of us would not forsake us, much less those which we had
not hurt. Yet that which makes them most in love with ships and men, are
the scrappes and refreshing they gather from them.
[The bonito.]
The bonito, or Spanish makerell, is altogether like unto a makerell, but
that it is somewhat more growne; he is reasonable foode, but dryer then
a makerell. Of them there are two sorts: the one is this which I have
described; the other, so great as hardly one man can lift him. At such
times as wee have taken of these, one sufficed for a meale for all my
company. These, from the fynne of the tayle forwards, have upon the
chyne seven small yellow hillocks, close one to another.
The dolphins and bonitos are taken with certaine instruments of iron
which we call vysgeis,[88] in forme of an eel speare, but that the
blades are round, and the poynts like unto the head of a broad arrow:
these are fastened to long staves of ten or twelve foote long, with
lynes tied unto them, and so shott to the fish from the beake-head, the
poope, or other parts of the shippe, as occasion is ministered. They are
also caught with hookes and lynes, the hooke being bayted with a redd
cloth, or with a white cloth made into the forme of a fish, and sowed
upon the hooke.
[The sharke.]
The shark, or tiberune, is a fish like unto those which wee call
dogge-fishes, but that he is farre greater. I have seene of them eight
or nine foote long; his head is flatt and broad, and his mouth in the
middle, underneath, as that of the scate; and he cannot byte of the
bayte before him, but by making a halfe turne; and then he helpeth
himselfe with his tayle, which serveth him in stead of a rudder. His
skinne is rough (like to the fish which we call a rough hound), and
russet, with reddish spottes, saving that under the belly he is all
white: he is much hated of sea-faring men, who have a certaine foolish
superstition with them, and say, that the ship hath seldome good
successe, that is much accompanied with them.
It is the most ravenous fish knowne in the sea; for he swalloweth all
that he findeth. In the puch[89] of them hath beene found hatts,
cappes, shooes, shirts, leggs and armes of men, ends of ropes, and many
other things; whatsoever is hanged by the shippes side, hee sheereth it,
as though it were with a razor; for he hath three rowes of teeth on
either side, as sharpe as nailes; some say they are good for
pick-tooths. It hath chanced that a yonker casting himselfe into the sea
to swimme, hath had his legge bitten off above the knee by one of them.
And I have beene enformed, that in the _Tyger_, when Sir Richard
Greenfield went to people Virginia, a sharke cut off the legge of one of
the companie, sitting in the chaines and washing himselfe. They spawne
not as the greatest part of fishes doe, but whelpe, as the dogge or
wolfe; and for many dayes after that shee hath whelped, every night, and
towards any storme, or any danger which may threaten them hurt, the
damme receiveth her whelpes in at her mouth, and preserveth them, till
they be able to shift for themselves. I have seene them goe in and out,
being more then a foote and halfe long; and after taking the damme, we
have found her young ones in her belly.[90]
Every day my company tooke more or lesse of them, not for that they did
eat of them (for they are not held wholesome; although the Spaniards, as
I have seene, doe eate them), but to recreate themselves, and in revenge
of the injuries received by them; for they live long, and suffer much
after they bee taken, before they dye.[91]
At the tayle of one they tyed a great logge of wood, at another, an
empty batizia,[92] well stopped; one they yoaked like a hogge; from
another, they plucked out his eyes, and so threw them into the sea. In
catching two together, they bound them tayle to tayle, and so set them
swimming; another with his belly slit, and his bowels hanging out,
which his fellowes would have every one a snatch at; with other infinite
inventions to entertayne the time, and to avenge themselves; for that
they deprived them of swimming, and fed on their flesh being dead. They
are taken with harping irons, and with great hookes made of purpose,
with swyvels and chaines; for no lyne nor small rope can hold them,
which they share not asunder.
There doth accompany this fish divers little fishes, which are callet
pilats fishes, and are ever upon his fynnes, his head, or his backe, and
feede of the scraps and superfluities of his prayes. They are in forme
of a trought, and streked like a makerell, but that the strekes are
white and blacke, and the blacke greater then the white.
The manner of hunting and hawking representeth that which we reasonable
creatures use, saving onely in the disposing of the game. For by our
industry and abilitie the hound and hawke is brought to that obedience,
that whatsoever they seize is for their master; but here it is
otherwise: for the game is for him that seizeth it. The dolphins and
bonitoes are the houndes, and the alcatraces [Flying fishes]
the hawkes, and the flying fishes the game; whose wonderfull making
magnifieth the Creator, who for their safetie and helpe, hath given them
extraordinary manner of fynnes, which serve in stead of wings, like
those of the batt or rere-mouse; of such a delicate skinne, interlaced
with small bones so curiously, as may well cause admiration in the
beholders. They are like unto pilchards in colour, and making; saving
that they are somewhat rounder, and (for the most part) bigger. They
flie best with a side wind, but longer then their wings be wett they
cannot sustaine the waight of their bodies; and so the greatest flight
that I have seene them make, hath not beene above a quarter of a myle.
They commonly goe in scoles, and serve for food for the greater fishes,
or for the foules. The dolphins and bonitoes doe continually hunt after
them, and the alcatraces lye soaring in the ayre, to see when they
spring, or take their flight; and ordinarily, he that escapeth the mouth
of the dolphin or bonito, helping himselfe by his wings, falleth
prisoner into the hands of the alcatrace, and helpeth to fill his gorge.
[Alcatrace.]
The alcatrace[93] is a sea-fowle, different to all that I have seene,
either on the land or in the sea. His head like unto the head of a gull,
but his bill like unto a snytes bill, somewhat shorter, and in all
places alike. He is almost like to a heronshaw; his leggs a good spanne
long, his wings very long, and sharpe towards the poynts, with a long
tayle like to a pheasant, but with three or foure feathers onely, and
these narrower. He is all blacke, of the colour of a crow, and of little
flesh; for he is almost all skinne and bones. He soareth the highest of
any fowle that I have seene, and I have not heard of any, that have
seene them rest in the sea.
[The fight of the whale,]
Now of the fight betwixt the whale and his contraries; which are the
sword-fish and the thresher. The whale is of the greatest fishes in the
sea; and to count but the truth, unlesse dayly experience did witnesse
the relation, it might seeme incredible; hee is a huge unwildlie fish,
and to those which have not seene of them, it might seeme strange, that
other fishes should master him; but certaine it is, that many times the
thresher and sword-fish, meeting him joyntly, doe make an end of him.
[with the sword fish]
The sword fish[94] is not great, but strongly made; and in the top of
his chine, as a man may say, betwixt the necke and shoulders, he hath a
manner of sword in substance, like unto a bone, of foure or five inches
broad, and above three foote long, full of prickles of either side: it
is but thin, for the greatest that I have seene, hath not beene above a
finger thicke.
[and thresher.]
The thresher is a greater fish, whose tayle is very broad and thicke,
and very waightie. They fight in this maner; the sword fish placeth
himselfe under the belly of the whale, and the thresher upon the
ryme[95] of the water, and with his tayle thresheth upon the head of the
whale, till hee force him to give way; which the sword fish perceiving,
receiveth him upon his sword, and wounding him in the belly forceth him
to mount up againe (besides that he cannot abide long under water, but
must of force rise upp to breath): and when in such manner they torment
him, that the fight is sometimes heard above three leagues distance, and
I dare affirme, that I have heard the blowes of the thresher two leagues
off, as the report of a peece of ordinance; the whales roaring being
heard much farther. It also happeneth sundry times that a great part of
the water of the sea round about them, with the blood of the whale,
changeth his colour. The best remedy the whale hath in this extremitie
to helpe himselfe, is to get him to land, which hee procureth as soone
as hee discovereth his adversaries; and getting the shore, there can
fight but one with him, and for either of them, hand to hand, he is too
good.[96] The whale is a fish not good to be eaten, hee is almost all
fat,[97] but esteemed for his trayne; and many goe to the
New-found-land, Greene-land, and other parts onely to fish for them;
which is in this maner: when they which seeke the whale discover him,
they compasse him round [The taking of the whale.] about with
pynaces or shalops. In the head of every boat is placed a man, with a
harping iron, and a long lyne, the one end of it fastned to the harping
iron, and the other end to the head of the boat, in which it lyeth
finely coiled; and for that he cannot keepe long under water, he sheweth
which way he goeth, when rising neere any of the boats, within reach, he
that is neerest, darteth his harping iron at him. The whale finding
himself to be wounded, swimmeth to the bottome, and draweth the pynace
after him; which the fisher-men presently forsake, casting themselves
into the sea; for that many times he draweth the boat under water: those
that are next, procure to take them up. For this cause all such as goe
for that kind of fishing, are experimented in swimming. When one harping
iron is fastned in the whale, it is easily discerned which way he
directeth his course: and so ere long they fasten another, and another
in him. When he hath three or foure boats dragging after him, with their
waight, his bleeding, and fury, he becommeth so over-mastred, that the
rest of the pynaces with their presence and terror, drive him to the
place where they would have him, nature instigating him to covet the
shore.
Being once hurt, there is little need to force him to land. Once on the
shore, they presently cut great peeces of him, and in great cauldrons
seeth them.[98] The uppermost in the cauldrons is the fatt, which they
skimme off, and put it into hogsheads and pipes. This is that they call
whales oyle, or traine oyle, accompted the best sort of traine oyle. It
is hard to be beleeved, what quantitie is gathered of one whale; of the
tongue, I have beene enformed, have many pipes beene filled. The fynnes
are also esteemed for many and sundry uses; as is his spawne for divers
purposes: this wee corruptly call _parmacittie_; of the Latine word,
_spermaceti_.[99]
[Amber-greece.]
And the precious amber-greece some thinke also to be found in his
bowells, or voyded by him: but not in all seas: yea, they maintaine for
certaine, that the same is ingendred by eating an hearbe which groweth
in the sea. This hearbe is not in all seas, say they, and therefore,
where it wanteth, the whales give not this fruit. In the coast of the
East Indies in many partes is great quantitie. In the coastes of Guyne,
of Barbary, of the Florida, in the islands of Cape de Verde, and the
Canaries, amber-greece hath beene many times found, and sometimes on the
coast of Spaine and England. Whereupon it is presumed, that all these
seas have not the hearbe growing in them. The cause why the whale should
eate this hearbe, I have not heard, nor read. It may be surmised, that
it is as that of the becunia, and other beasts, which breed the beazer
stone;[100] who feeding in the valleyes and mountaines, where are many
venemous serpents, and hearbes; when they find themselves touched with
any poyson, forthwith they runne for remedie to an hearbe, which the
Spaniards call _contrayerva_, that is to say, contrary to poyson: which
having eaten, they are presently cured: but the substance of the hearbe
converteth it selfe into a medicinable stone; so it may be, that the
whale feeding of many sortes of fishes, and some of them, as is knowne,
venemous, when he findeth himselfe touched, with this hearbe he cureth
himselfe; and not being able to digest it, nature converteth it into
this substance, provoketh it out, or dyeth with it in his belly; and
being light, the sea bringeth it to the coast.
All these are imaginations, yet instruments to moove us to the
glorifying of the great and universal Creatour of all, whose secret
wisedome, and wonderfull workes, are incomprehensible.
[Amber-greece.]
But the more approved generation of the amber-greece, and which carrieth
likliest probabilitie is, that it is a liquor which issueth out of
certaine fountaines, in sundry seas, and being of a light and thicke
substance, participating of the ayre, suddenly becommeth hard, as the
yellow amber, of which they make beads;[101] which is also a liquor of a
fountayne in the Germayne sea. In the bottome it is soft and white, and
partaking of the ayre becommeth hard and stonie: also the corrall in the
sea is soft, but comming into the ayre, becommeth a stone.
Those who are of this former opinion, thinke the reason why the amber
greece is sometimes found in the whale, to be, for that he swalloweth
it, as other things which he findeth swimming upon the water; and not
able to digest it, it remaineth with him till his death.
[By the Indians.]
Another manner of fishing and catching the whale I cannot omit, used by
the Indians, in Florida; worthy to be considered, in as much as the
barbarous people have found out so great a secret, by the industry and
diligence of one man, to kill so great and huge a monster: it is in this
manner.
The Indian discovering a whale, procureth two round billets of wood,
sharpneth both at one end, and so binding them together with a cord,
casteth himselfe with them into the sea, and swimmeth towards the whale:
if he come to him, the whale escapeth not; for he placeth himselfe upon
his necke, and although the whale goeth to the bottome, he must of force
rise presently to breath (for which nature hath given him two great
holes in the toppe of his head, by which, every time that he breatheth,
he spouteth out a great quantitie of water); the Indian forsaketh not
his holde, but riseth with him, and thrusteth in a logg into one of his
spowters, and with the other knocketh it in so fast, that by no meanes
the whale can get it out. That fastned, at another opportunitie, he
thrusteth in the second logg into the other spowter, and with all the
force he can, keepeth it in.
The whale not being able to breath, swimmeth presently ashore, and the
Indian a cock-horse upon him, which his fellowes discovering, approach
to helpe him, and to make an end of him: it serveth them for their foode
many dayes after.[102]
Since the Spaniards have taught them the estimation of amber greece,
they seeke curiously for it, sell it to them, and others, for such
things as they best fancie, and most esteeme; which are, as I have beene
enformed, all sortes of edge tooles, copper, glasses, glasse-beads, red
caps, shirts, and pedlery ware. Upon this subject, divers Spaniards have
discoursed unto mee, who have beene eye witnesses thereof, declaring
them to be valorous, ventrous, and industrious: otherwise they durst not
undertake an enterprise so difficult and full of danger.