'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎384] (407/448)

3 84. The Ma,-atee T orpaedo.
Hear Oppia/t.
At duo fe tollunt diftenta per IHa rami.
Qui fraudem pro robore habent, Pifcemqj tuentur j -
Quos fi quis tradat, perdit per membra vigorem
Sanguine concreto, tigidos nee commovet artus^
Solvuntur fubito contrafto in corpore vires, v
Along her ftretched guts two branches rife,
With fraud not firength endued i thefe patronife
'The Fijh: which vchofo wounds■, his joints decay,
His blood conge ales y his limbs move not, they fay
His powers diffolve, he fhahes and falls may- ^
/ ^ '
the Cow have their defaomiiatioa: for it is verily thought the Land has not that Crea
ture which the watery Citizens refemble not. They affed fhoald waters, and to be near
the fliore to graze upon * their eyes are very fmail •, bulk about three yards long, and in
breadth but half fo much: famoufed for a gentlefilk, delighting to behold the vifage of
Man;", moil valuable in a ftone that is confolidated in the Kead •, which being pounded
and put in Wine and drunk falling is (as are the brains of Sharks or Tuberons) foveraign
againll the flone and colick ' 0 yea,; of more prize than his other fix great teethy which yet
to him are far more ufeful. Andrew Evans Captain of our Ship itruck one of them with
a fifgig, and for quicker difpatch leapt into the fe, and fwimming towards it with a
Stilleto wounded the filh in leveral places *, as Vidor he would needs get upon her back,
but the triumph cofl him dearly : for the Man-ate^ labouring under pangs circling his
body fo crufht the Captain by that forceable imbrace as the bruife made him Ipit blood
to his dying day, which happened foon after.
Give me leave to name what filh we took *, Dolphins, Bonetaes, Albicores, Cavalloes,
Porpice, GrampafTe, which Mr. Sands thinks is the right Dolphin, none elfe being of
that opinion •, this fome call the Suf-marinm, Mullet, Bream, Tench, Trout, Sole, Floun
ders, Tortoife, Eel, Pike, Shark, Crab, Lobller, Oyfters, Crafifh, Cuttle-filh, (which
though its blood be as black as Ink caufed by a high.concodion, is neverthelefs meat
very delicious) Rock-fiih, Limpits, and a fpeckl'd toadifh or poyfon fiih as the Seamen
from experience named it ^ which albeit laft named came firll to net and eaten too gree
dily by the heedlefs Sailors was an error coil fome no lefs than their lives, others for fome
time their fenfes: in fhape it was not unlike a Tench, but more black and deformedly
Ipotted-
Difce venenatos Leporis cognofcere potus
Peftiferij mediis peperit quern flu£Ubus aequor,
Virofi Squammas Scpurgaraentamarinij pifcisolei.
The poyfonoHs Sea-fijh drinkjtarn to beware:
Whom the deep Channels of the Sea prepare.
Her Scales have bane, her Oyls like purging are.
Other flrange Fifli wc had which met with as flrange llomachs ' 0 iwhe^cither out of ap
petite or curiofity would not be afraid to tafle: fome had the fliape of Hedge-hogs, o-
ther of Cats 5 fome were globous, others triangular *, fuch as Gorram call?; Lepm Marinas.
The Torpcedo or Cramp-filh alfo came to hand, a fifh (if Pliny writes truth) that by
hiding it felf with mud and dirt catches leffer fifh very ftrangely: for by his frigidity he
ueniitns fuch fifh as fwim over or lodge near him, and fo preys upon them. Amazed (not
knowing that fiih but by its quality ) we were, when a fudden trembling feized us: a de
vice it has to beget liberty as well as to catch his prey ^ for by evaporating a cold breath
it ftupifjes fuch as touch, nay which is more, as hold a thing that touches it.