History of the Buccaneers of America Part 9

_=Edward Davis= Commander. On the coast of =New Spain= and =Peru=. Algatrane, a bituminous earth. =Davis= is joined by other Buccaneers. =Eaton= sails to the East Indies.

=Guayaquil= attempted. Rivers of =St. Jago=, and =Tomaco=. In the Bay of =Panama=. Arrivals of numerous parties of Buccaneers across the =Isthmus= from the =West Indies=._

[Sidenote: 1684. July. Coast of New Spain. Caldera Bay.] Dampier describes the coast of _New Spain_ immediately westward of the _Cape Blanco_ last mentioned, to fall in to the NE about four leagues, making a small bay, which is by the Spaniards called _Caldera_[41]. Within the entrance of this bay, a league from _Cape Blanco_, was a small brook of very good water running into the sea. The land here is low, making a saddle between two small hills. The ships anch.o.r.ed near the brook, in good depth, on a bottom of clean hard sand; and at this place, their deceased Commander was taken on sh.o.r.e and buried.

The country appeared thin of inhabitants, and the few seen were shy of coming near strangers. Two Indians however were caught. Some cattle were seen grazing near the sh.o.r.e, at a Beef _Estancian_ or Farm, three miles distant from where the ships lay. Two boats were sent thither to bring cattle, having with them one of the Indians for a guide. They arrived at the farm towards evening, and some of the Buccaneers proposed that they should remain quiet till daylight next morning, when they might surround the cattle and drive a number of them into a pen or inclosure; others of the party disliked this plan, and one of the boats returned to the ships.

Twelve men, with the other boat, remained, who hauled their boat dry up on the beach, and went and took their lodgings for the night by the farm.

When the morning arrived, they found the people of the country had collected, and saw about 40 armed men preparing to attack them. The Buccaneers hastened as speedily as they could to the sea-side where they had left their boat, and found her in flames. 'The Spaniards now thought they had them secure, and some called to them to ask if they would be pleased to walk to their plantations; to which never a word was answered.'

Fortunately for the Buccaneers, a rock appeared just above water at some distance from the sh.o.r.e, and the way to it being fordable, they waded thither. This served as a place of protection against the enemy, 'who only now and then whistled a shot among them.' It was at about half ebb tide when they took to the rock for refuge; on the return of the flood, the rock became gradually covered. They had been in this situation seven hours, when a boat arrived, sent from the ships in search of them. The rise and fall of the tide here was eight feet perpendicular, and the tide was still rising at the time the boat came to their relief; so that their peril from the sea when on the rock was not less than it had been from the Spaniards when they were on sh.o.r.e.

From _Caldera Bay_, they sailed for _Ria-lexa_. [Sidenote: Volcan Viejo.

Ria-lexa Harbour.] The coast near _Ria-lexa_ is rendered remarkable by a high peaked mountain called _Volcan Viejo_ (the Old Volcano.) 'When the mountain bears NE, ships may steer directly in for it, which course will bring them to the harbour. Those that go thither must take the sea wind, which is from the SSW, for there is no going in with the land wind. The harbour is made by a low flat Island about a mile long and a quarter of a mile broad, which lies about a mile and a half from the main-land. There is a channel at each end of the Island: the West channel is the widest and safest, yet at the NW point of the Island there is a shoal of which ships must take heed, and when past the shoal must keep close to the Island on account of a sandy point which strikes over from the main-land. This harbour is capable of receiving 200 sail of ships. The best riding is near the main-land, where the depth is seven or eight fathoms, clean hard sand.

Two creeks lead up to the town of _Ria-lexa_, which is two leagues distant from the harbour[42].'

The Spaniards had erected breastworks and made other preparation in expectation of such a visit as the present. The Buccaneers therefore changed their intention, which had been to attack the town; and sailed on for the _Gulf of Amapalla_.

[Sidenote: Bay of Amapalla.] 'The Bay or Gulf of _Amapalla_ runs eight or ten leagues into the country. On the South side of its entrance is _Point Casivina_, in lat.i.tude 12 40' N; and on the NW side is _Mount San Miguel_. There are many Islands in this Gulf, all low except two, named _Amapalla_ and _Mangera_, which are both high land. These are two miles asunder, and between them is the best channel into the Gulf[43].'

The ships sailed into the _Gulf_ through the channel between _Point Casivina_ and the Island _Mangera_. Davis went with two canoes before the ships, and landed at a village on the Island _Mangera_. The inhabitants kept at a distance, but a Spanish Friar and some Indians were taken, from whom the Buccaneers learnt that there were two Indian towns or villages on the _Island Amapalla_; upon which information they hastened to their canoes, and made for that Island. On coming near, some among the inhabitants called out to demand who they were, and what they came for.

Davis answered by an interpreter, that he and his men were Biscayners sent by the King of _Spain_ to clear the sea of Pirates; and that their business in _Amapalla Bay_, was to careen. No other Spaniard than the Padre dwelt among these Indians, and only one among the Indians could speak the Spanish language, who served as a kind of Secretary to the Padre. The account the Buccaneers gave of themselves satisfied the natives, and the Secretary said they were welcome. The princ.i.p.al town or village of the Island _Amapalla_ stood on the top of a hill, and Davis and his men, with the Friar at their head, marched thither.

At each of the towns on _Amapalla_, and also on _Mangera_, was a handsome built church. The Spanish Padre officiated at all three, and gave religious instruction to the natives in their own language. The Islands were within the jurisdiction of the Governor of the Town of _San Miguel_, which was at the foot of the _Mount_. 'I observed,' says Dampier, 'in all the Indian towns under the Spanish Government, that the Images of the Virgin Mary, and of other Saints with which all their churches are filled, are painted of an Indian complexion, and partly in an Indian dress: but in the towns which are inhabited chiefly by Spaniards, the Saints conform to the Spanish garb and complexion.'

The ships anch.o.r.ed near the East side of the _Island Amapalla_, which is the largest of the Islands, in 10 fathoms depth, clean hard sand. On other Islands in the Bay were plantations of maize, with cattle, fowls, plantains, and abundance of a plum-tree common in _Jamaica_, the fruit of which Dampier calls the large hog plum. This fruit is oval, with a large stone and little substance about it; pleasant enough in taste, but he says he never saw one of these plums ripe that had not a maggot or two in it.

The Buccaneers helped themselves to cattle from an Island in the Bay which was largely stocked, and which they were informed belonged to a Nunnery.

The natives willingly a.s.sisted them to take the cattle, and were content on receiving small presents for their labour. The Buccaneers had no other service to desire of these natives, and therefore it must have been from levity and an ambition to give a specimen of their vocation, more than for any advantage expected, that they planned to take the opportunity when the inhabitants should be a.s.sembled in their church, to shut the church doors upon them, the Buccaneers themselves say, 'to let the Indians know who we were, and to make a bargain with them.' In executing this project, one of the buccaneers being impatient at the leisurely movements of the inhabitants, pushed one of them rather rudely, to hasten him into the church; but the contrary effect was produced, for the native being frightened, ran away, and all the rest taking alarm 'sprang out of the church like deer.' As they fled, some of Davis's men fired at them as at an enemy, and among other injury committed, the Indian Secretary was killed.

Cowley relates their exploits here very briefly, but in the style of an accomplished Gazette writer. He says, 'We set sail from _Realejo_ to the _Gulf of St. Miguel_, where we took two Islands; one was inhabited by Indians, and the other was well stored with cattle.'

[Sidenote: September. Davis and Eaton part Company.] Davis and Eaton here broke off consortship. The cause of their separating was an unreasonable claim of Davis's crew, who having the stouter and better ship, would not agree that Eaton's men should share equally with themselves in the prizes taken. Cowley at this time quitted Davis's ship, and entered with Eaton, who sailed from the _Bay of Amapalla_ for the Peruvian coast. Davis also sailed the same way on the day following (September the 3d), first releasing the Priest of _Amapalla_; and with a feeling of remorse something foreign to his profession, by way of atonement to the inhabitants for the annoyance and mischief they had sustained from the Buccaneers, he left them one of the prize vessels, with half a cargo of flour.

[Sidenote: Tornadoes near the Coast of New Spain.] Davis sailed out of the Gulf by the pa.s.sage between the Islands _Amapalla_ and _Mangera_. In the navigation towards the coast of _Peru_, they had the wind from the NNW and West, except during tornadoes, of which they had one or more every day, and whilst they lasted the wind generally blew from the South East; but as soon as they were over, the wind settled again, in the NW. Tornadoes are common near the _Bay of Panama_ from June to November, and at this time were accompanied with much thunder, lightning, and rain.

[Sidenote: Cape San Francisco.] When they came to _Cape San Francisco_, they found settled fair weather, and the wind at South. On the 20th, they anch.o.r.ed by the East side of the _Island Plata_. The 21st, Eaton's ship anch.o.r.ed near them. Eaton had been at the _Island Cocos_, and had lodged on sh.o.r.e there 200 packages of flour.

[Sidenote: Eaton's Description of Cocos Island.] According to Eaton's description, _Cocos Island_ is encompa.s.sed with rocks, 'which make it almost inaccessible except at the NE end, where there is a small but secure harbour; and a fine brook of fresh water runs there into the sea.

The middle of the Island is pretty high, and dest.i.tute of trees, but looks green and pleasant with an herb by the Spaniards called _Gramadiel_. All round the Island by the sea, the land is low, and there cocoa-nut trees grow in great groves.'

[Sidenote: Coast of Peru.] At _La Plata_ they found only one small run of fresh water, which was on the East side of the Island, and trickled slowly down from the rocks. The Spaniards had recently destroyed the goats here, that they might not serve as provision for the pirates. Small sea turtle however were plentiful, as were men-of-war birds and b.o.o.bies. The tide was remarked to run strong at this part of the coast, the flood to the South.

Eaton and his crew would willingly have joined company again with Davis, but Davis's men persisted in their unsociable claim to larger shares: the two ships therefore, though designing alike to cruise on the coast of _Peru_, sailed singly and separately, Eaton on the 22d, and Davis on the day following.

[Sidenote: Point S^{ta} Elena.] Davis went to _Point S^{ta} Elena_. On its West side is deep water and no anchorage. In the bay on the North side of the Point is good anchorage, and about a mile within the Point was a small Indian village, the inhabitants of which carried on a trade with pitch, and salt made there. The _Point S^{ta} Elena_ is tolerably high, and overgrown with thistles; but the land near it is sandy, low, and in parts overflowed, without tree or gra.s.s, and without fresh water; but water-melons grew there, large and very sweet. When the inhabitants of the village wanted fresh water, they were obliged to fetch it from a river called the _Colanche_, which is at the innermost part of the bay, four leagues distant from their habitations. The buccaneers landed, and took some natives prisoners. A small bark was lying in the bay at anchor, the crew of which set fire to and abandoned her; but the buccaneers boarded her in time to extinguish the fire. A general order had been given by the Viceroy of _Peru_ to all ship-masters, that if they should be in danger of being taken by pirates, they should set fire to their vessels and betake themselves to their boats.

[Sidenote: Algatrane, a bituminous Earth.] The pitch, which was the princ.i.p.al commodity produced at _S^{ta} Elena_, was supplied from a hot spring, of which Dampier gives the following account. 'Not far from the Indian village, and about five paces within high-water mark, a bituminous matter boils out of a little hole in the earth. It is like thin tar; the Spaniards call it _Algatrane_. By much boiling, it becomes hard like pitch, and is used by the Spaniards instead of pitch. It boils up most at high water, and the inhabitants save it in jars[44].'

[Sidenote: A rich Ship formerly wrecked on Point S^{ta} Elena.] A report was current here among the Spaniards, 'that many years before, a rich Spanish ship was driven ash.o.r.e at _Point S^{ta} Elena_, for want of wind to work her; that immediately after she struck, she heeled off to seaward, and sunk in seven or eight fathoms water; and that no one ever attempted to fish for her, because there falls in here a great high sea[45].'

[Sidenote: Manta.] Davis landed at a village named _Manta_, on the main-land about three leagues Eastward of _Cape San Lorenzo_, and due North of a high conical mountain called _Monte Christo_. The village was on a small ascent, and between it and the sea was a spring of good water.

[Sidenote: Sunken Rocks near it.] 'About a mile and a half from the sh.o.r.e, right opposite the village, is a rock which is very dangerous, because it never appears above water, neither does the sea break upon it. A mile within the rock is good anchorage in six, eight or ten fathoms, hard sand and clear ground. [Sidenote: And Shoal.] A mile from the road on the West side is a shoal which runs out a mile into the sea[46].'

The only booty made by landing at _Manta_, was the taking two old women prisoners. From them however, the Buccaneers obtained intelligence that many of their fraternity had lately crossed the _Isthmus_ from the _West Indies_, and were at this time on the _South Sea_, without ships, cruising about in canoes; and that it was on this account the Viceroy had given orders for the destruction of the goats at the Island _Plata_.

[Sidenote: October. Davis is joined by other Buccaneers.] Whilst Davis and his men, in the Batchelor's Delight, were lying at the Island _Plata_, unsettled in their plans by the news they had received, they were, on October the 2d, joined by the Cygnet, Captain Swan, and by a small bark manned with a crew of buccaneers, both of which anch.o.r.ed in the road.

[Sidenote: The Cygnet, Captain Swan.] The Cygnet, as before noticed, was fitted out from _London_ for the purpose of trade. She had put in at _Baldivia_, where Swan, seeing the Spaniards suspicious of the visits of strangers, gave out that he was bound to the _East Indies_, and that he had endeavoured to go by the _Cape of Good Hope_; but that meeting there with storms and unfavourable winds, and not being able to beat round that _Cape_, he had changed his course and ran for the _Strait of Magalhanes_, to sail by the _Pacific Ocean_ to _India_. This story was too improbable to gain credit. Instead of finding a market at _Baldivia_, the Spaniards there treated him and his people as enemies, by which he lost two men and had several wounded. He afterwards tried the disposition of the Spaniards to trade with him at other places, both in _Chili_ and _Peru_, but no where met encouragement. He proceeded Northward for _New Spain_ still with the same view; but near the _Gulf of Nicoya_ he fell in with some buccaneers who had come over the _Isthmus_ and were in canoes; and his men (Dampier says) forced him to receive them into his ship, and he was afterwards prevailed on to join in their pursuits. Swan had to plead in his excuse, the hostility of the Spaniards towards him at _Baldivia_.

These buccaneers with whom Swan a.s.sociated, had for their commander Peter Harris, a nephew of the Peter Harris who was killed in battle with the Spaniards in the _Bay of Panama_, in 1680, when the Buccaneers were commanded by Sawkins and c.o.xon. Swan stipulated with them that ten shares of every prize should be set apart for the benefit of his owners, and articles to that purport were drawn up and signed. Swan retained the command of the Cygnet, with a crew increased by a number of the new comers, for whose accommodation a large quant.i.ty of bulky goods belonging to the merchants was thrown into the sea. Harris with others of the buccaneers established themselves in a small bark they had taken.

On their meeting with Davis, there was much joy and congratulation on all sides. They immediately agreed to keep together, and the separation of Eaton's ship was now much regretted. They were still incommoded in Swan's ship for want of room, therefore (the supercargoes giving consent) whatever part of the cargo any of the crews desired to purchase, it was sold to them upon trust; and more bulky goods were thrown overboard. Iron, of which there was a large quant.i.ty, was kept for ballast; and the finer goods, as silks, muslins, stockings, &c. were saved. [Sidenote: At Isle de la Plata.] Whilst they continued at _La Plata_, Davis kept a small bark out cruising, which brought in a ship from _Guayaquil_, laden with timber, the master of which reported that great preparations were making at _Callao_ to attack the pirates. This information made a re-union with Eaton more earnestly desired, and a small bark manned with 20 men was dispatched to search along the coast Southward as far as to the _Lobos Isles_, with an invitation to him to join them again. The ships in the mean time followed leisurely in the same direction.

[Sidenote: Cape Blanco, near Guayaquil; difficult to weather.] On the 30th, they were off the _Cape Blanco_ which is between _Payta_ and the _Bay of Guayaquil_. Southerly winds prevail along the coast of _Peru_ and _Chili_ much the greater part of the year; and Dampier remarks of this _Cape Blanco_, that it was reckoned the most difficult to weather of any headland along the coast, the wind generally blowing strong from SSW or SbW, without being altered, as at other parts of the coast, by the land winds. Yet it was held necessary here to beat up close in with the sh.o.r.e, because (according to the accounts of Spanish seamen) 'on standing out to sea, a current is found setting NW, which will carry a ship farther off sh.o.r.e in two hours, than she can run in again in five.'

[Sidenote: November. Payta burnt.] November the 3d, the Buccaneers landed at _Payta_ without opposition, the town being abandoned to them. They found nothing of value, 'not so much as a meal of victuals being left them.' The Governor would not pay ransom for the town, though he fed the Buccaneers with hopes till the sixth day, when they set it on fire.

At most of the towns on the coast of _Peru_, the houses are built with bricks made of earth and straw kneaded together and dried in the sun; many houses have no roof other than mats laid upon rafters, for it never rains, and they endeavour to fence only from the sun. From the want of moisture, great part of the country near the coast will not produce timber, and most of the stone they have, 'is so brittle that any one may rub it into sand with their finger.'

_Payta_ had neither wood nor water, except what was carried thither. The water was procured from a river about two leagues NNE of the town, where was a small Indian village called _Colan_. [Sidenote: Part of the Peruvian Coast where it never rains.] Dampier says, 'this dry country commences Northward about _Cape Blanco_ (in about 4 S lat.i.tude) whence it reaches to lat.i.tude 30 S, in which extent they have no rain that I could ever observe or hear of.' In the Southern part of this tract however (according to Wafer) they have great dews in the night, by which the vallies are rendered fertile, and are well furnished with vegetables.

Eaton had been at _Payta_, where he burnt a large ship in the road, but did not land. He put on sh.o.r.e there all his prisoners; from which circ.u.mstance it was conjectured that he purposed to sail immediately for the _East Indies_; and such proved to be the fact.

The vessel commanded by Harris, sailed badly, and was therefore quitted and burnt. [Sidenote: Lobos de Tierra. Lobos de la Mar.] On the 14th, the other Buccaneer vessels, under Davis, anch.o.r.ed near the NE end of _Lobos de Tierra_, in four fathoms depth. They took here penguins, b.o.o.bies, and seals. On the 19th, they were at _Lobos de la Mar_, where they found a letter left by the bark sent in search of Eaton, which gave information that he had entirely departed from the American coast. The bark had sailed for the Island _Plata_ expecting to rejoin the ships there.

[Sidenote: Eaton sails for the East Indies; Stops at the Ladrones.] Eaton in his route to the _East Indies_ stopped at _Guahan_, one of the _Ladrone Islands_, where himself and his crew acted towards the native Islanders with the utmost barbarity, which Cowley relates as a subject of merriment.

On their first arrival at _Guahan_, Eaton sent a boat on sh.o.r.e to procure refreshments; but the natives kept at a distance, believing his ship to be one of the Manila galeons, and his people Spaniards. Eaton's men served themselves with cocoa-nuts, but finding difficulty in climbing, they cut the trees down to get at the fruit. The next time their boat went to the sh.o.r.e, the Islanders attacked her, but were easily repulsed; and a number of them killed. By this time the Spanish Governor was arrived at the part of the Island near which the ship had anch.o.r.ed, and sent a letter addressed to her Commander, written in four different languages, to wit, in Spanish, French, Dutch, and Latin, to demand of what country she was, and whence she came. Cowley says, 'Our Captain, thinking the French would be welcomer than the English, returned answer we were French, fitted out by private merchants to make fuller discovery of the world. The Governor on this, invited the Captain to the sh.o.r.e, and at their first conference, the Captain told him that the Indians had fallen upon his men, and that we had killed some of them. He wished we had killed them all, and told us of their rebellion, that they had killed eight Fathers, of sixteen which were in a convent. He gave us leave to kill and take whatever we could find on one half of the Island where the rebels lived. We then made wars with these infidels, and went on sh.o.r.e every day, fetching provisions, and firing upon them wherever we saw them, so that the greatest part of them left the Island. The Indians sent two of their captains to us to treat of peace, but we would not treat with them[47].'--'The whole land is a garden. The Governor was the same man who detained Sir John Narbrough's Lieutenant at _Baldivia_. Our Captain supplied him with four barrels of gunpowder, and arms.'

Josef de Quiroga was at this time Governor at _Guahan_, who afterwards conquered and unpeopled all the Northern Islands of the _Ladrones_.

Eaton's crew took some of the Islanders prisoners: three of them jumped overboard to endeavour to escape. It was easy to retake them, as they had been bound with their hands behind them; but Eaton's men pursued them with the determined purpose to kill them, which they did in mere wantonness of sport[48]. At another time, when they had so far come to an accommodation with the Islanders as to admit of their approach, the ship's boat being on sh.o.r.e fishing with the seine, some natives in canoes near her were suspected of intending mischief. Cowley relates, 'our people that were in the boat let go in amongst the thickest of them, and killed a great many of their number.' It is possible that thus much might have been necessary for safety; but Cowley proceeds, 'the others, seeing their mates fall, ran away. Our other men which were on sh.o.r.e, meeting them, saluted them also by making holes in their hides.'

From the _Ladrones_ Eaton sailed to the North of _Luconia_, and pa.s.sed through among the Islands which were afterwards named by Dampier the _Bashee Islands_. The account given by Cowley is as follows: 'There being half a point East variation, till we came to lat.i.tude 20 30' N, where we fell in with a parcel of Islands lying to the Northward of _Luconia_. On the 23d day of April, we sailed through between the second and third of the Northernmost of them. We met with a very strong current, like the _Race of Portland_. [Sidenote: Nutmeg Island, North of Luconia.] At the third of the Northernmost Islands, we sent our boat on sh.o.r.e, where they found abundance of nutmegs growing, but no people. They observed abundance of rocks and foul ground near the sh.o.r.e, and saw many goats upon the Island.'

Cowley concludes the narrative of his voyage with saying that he arrived home safe to _England_ through the infinite mercy of G.o.d.

[Sidenote: Coast of Peru. Davis attempts Guayaquil. Slave Ships captured.]

To return to Edward Davis: At _Lobos de la Mar_, the Mosquito Indians struck as much turtle as served all the crews. Shortly after, Davis made an attempt to surprise _Guayaquil_, which miscarried through the cowardice of one of his men, and the coldness of Swan to the enterprise. In the _Bay of Guayaquil_ they captured four vessels; one of them laden with woollen cloth of _Quito_ manufacture; the other three were ships coming out of the _River of Guayaquil_ with cargoes of Negroes.

The number of Negroes in these vessels was a thousand, from among which Davis and Swan chose each about fifteen, and let the vessels go. Dampier entertained on this occasion different views from his companions. 'Never,'

says he, 'was put into the hands of men a greater opportunity to enrich themselves. We had 1000 Negroes, all l.u.s.ty young men and women, and we had 200 tons of flour stored up at the _Galapagos Islands_. With these Negroes we might have gone and settled at _Santa Maria_ on the _Isthmus of Darien_, and have employed them in getting gold out of the mines there.

All the Indians living in that neighbourhood were mortal enemies to the Spaniards, were flushed by successes against them, and for several years had been the fast friends of the privateers. Add to which, we should have had the _North Sea_ open to us, and in a short time should have received a.s.sistance from all parts of the _West Indies_. Many thousands of Buccaneers from _Jamaica_ and the French Islands would have flocked to us; and we should have been an overmatch for all the force the Spaniards could have brought out of _Peru_ against us.'

The proposal to employ slaves in the mines leaves no cause to regret that Dampier's plan was not adopted; but that was probably not an objection with his companions. They naturally shrunk from an attempt which in the execution would have required a regularity and order to which they were unaccustomed, and not at all affected.

[Sidenote: Description of the Harbour of Guayaquil.] The Harbour of _Guayaquil_ is the best formed port in _Peru_. In the river, three or four miles short of the town, stands a low Island about a mile long, on either side of which is a fair channel to pa.s.s up or down. The Western Channel is the wildest: the other is as deep. 'From the upper part of the Island to the town is about a league, and it is near as much from one side of the river to the other. In that s.p.a.cious place ships of the greatest burthen may ride afloat; but the best place for ships is near that part of the land on which the town stands. The country here is subject to great rains and thick fogs, which render it very unwholesome and sickly, in the vallies especially; _Guayaquil_ however is not so unhealthy as _Quito_ and other towns inland; but the Northern part of Peru pays for the dry weather which they have about _Lima_ and to the Southward.'

[Sidenote: Island S^{ta} Clara. Shoals near its North Side.] 'Ships bound into the river of _Guayaquil_ pa.s.s on the South side of the Island _Santa Clara_ to avoid shoals which are on the North side, whereon formerly ships have been wrecked. A rich wreck lay on the North side of _Santa Clara_ not far from the Island, and some plate which was in her was taken up: more might have been saved but for the cat-fish which swarm hereabouts.

[Sidenote: Cat Fish.] 'The Cat-fish is much like a whiting; but the head is flatter and bigger. It has a wide mouth, and certain small strings pointing out on each side of it like cats' whiskers. It hath three fins; one on the back, and one on either side. Each of these fins hath a sharp bone which is very venemous if it strikes into a man's flesh. Some of the Indians that adventured to search this wreck lost their lives, and others the use of their limbs, by these fins. Some of the cat-fish weigh seven or eight pounds; and in some places there are cat-fish which are none of them bigger than a man's thumb; but their fins are all alike venemous. They are most generally at the mouths of rivers (in the hot lat.i.tudes) or where there is much mud and ooze. The bones in their bodies are not venemous, and we never perceived any bad effect in eating the fish, which is very sweet and wholesome meat[49].'