fhè whole ‘animal, begins-tb fpread itfelf near the eyes,
:and thns:0 d n tiih ^ fpfeadiügf ilf forms The head of a
flatthh triangular appearance,'clofe to ■tëhich'are- the two
pe<Toral,,fins% Above the eyes are two large holes, which
I apprehend to be the organs df’hearing, andnot,.as;fdme
fuppofe, intended by nature for the pörpófe- Of ttpóüfirig
.water. ' Almoft direéüy under fher® i t the mouth, which
-is fiknething in the form of an half-moon,' apparently-
without teeth, and hetweefo "that -and thi-nnder part of
the Tpiked < few: are,fee -noftrils, \^ h e h ó d y 'óf-the'f^w-
fifti Is not much larger than the -head,with fwo .ftrohg
dorfal fins, the on © . near themidbie; théoïher neat- -the
tail, which is partly bifurcated, and railed perpendicular,
the largeft part upwards, without rays; . The back it covered
oyer with a dark flimy ikin,; the whole forming^
very hideous appearance. This fifh fisghts with the largefl:
whales, till the fea all around'-is- died with blood, feldom
quitting its adverfary till it has -vanquilhed and killed it.
I have feen this monfter out of the water, bandits whole
length nieafured about fcuifeÊö ipéêt^
The turtles are divided into twoTpeeie's, ^and are generally
diftinguilhed in Surinam by the names'of calapee or
green turtle, and carèti. The former of théfe fometimes
weighs four hundred pounds, and has a flattifh fhell; but
the carett is inferior both in fize and quality except with
refpeéi to its fhell, which is moré' valuable,' and of a
more convex form. Both the calapëè and carett depofit
their eggs, which are very excellent food, in the fand,
where
M X p E D I T 1 0 N TO \S UR1 N AM. - Ig*
where they'-are-hatchfedchy the. heat o f the Tun. The CHAP,
manner of, taking thefe-animals ' is $fy- turning them on, , ^ lj ,
their’backs with5 a hand-fpike when theylate/difcovered .
dn Ihore, and .'leaving them in this fituation till' a convenient
opportunity'occurs for;carrying, them away; for
fuch is the heavinefs of their ftruCture,, or fo languid, are
theirdpowefs, That thef; are (Utterly unable, fo turn. them-
felves^ and effect their efcape. They are publickly fxpofed-
to fale by the butchers, in Surinam, like the fhambles meat;
in the European markets, and are efteemed the mod: delicate
food1 between the months, o f February and May.,
On the morning of the'ift\of February we; pow,once.
more went finder way, dndkept courte'in fhone till the
evening, when' we leame 'to an anchog off 'the mouth o f
the tiver'Mdrawirtdi1; this riverchas^eoafioned.the lofs,
of miby'fhips, byTeatn®Ei fatahy riiiftaking it fogt^e-riyer
Surinam, to Which it-S ’eikry, bears indeed 'a very great re-
fetnhlance. What renders the firjl.io dangerous, are the
numerous rocks, fmall iflands, and quick-bands with which
it is erouded; befideiriifs fiein^fo fhallow at high->yater:
mark (and eveh withfpring-ti'de^that all fhips- of any,
confiderable burthen immediately, run a-ground, and go'
to'piteces. :' i
On the ad, having' got our anchor a-peak by daybreak,
we again; fet fail, keeping courfe along the coaft;
when having doubled Braanfs Point with a light breeze,. |
under top and top-gallant fails, we finally entered .the
beautiful river Surinam ; and at three o’clock, B. M*
dropped5 anchor, before the - ne w fortrefs called Amjler-*\
Vox.. X. G , (dam\