red and the white Steenbrajfems, or Stone-breams, two fpecies,
or perhaps varieties only, of perches. They are taken from
one to thirty pounds in weight. O f the fame genus there are
feveral other fpecies, and all of them tolerably good. One of
thefe called the Gabeljau, with the root o f the peftoral fins
black, tail undivided, and one back fin, grows to the weight of
forty pounds : another, called the Hottentot’s fiih, from its dirty
brown color, with one back fin, and tail bifid, commonly runs
about four pounds: another perch, called the Silver-fiih, has
one back fin, and tail bifid ; ground of a rofe-colored tinge,
with five longitudinal filver bands on each fide, defcribed probably
as the perca Jlriata : and a fourth fpecies, called the
Stompneus, with one back fin and tail bifid, is diftinguifhed by
fix tranfverfe bands of black and white fpots down each fide.
The Harder, a fpecies of Clupea, not unlike the common herring,
is confidered as a good fiih ; and the Klip or rock-fiih, the
Blennius viviparus, makes no bad fry . The El/i, the Scomber
tracburus, fchad or horfe mackrell, has a good flavour, but is
reckoned to be unwholefome food, and on that account feldom
eaten. The Scomber Scomber, common mackrell, fometimes
makes its appearance after bad weather in large fhoals in the
bay. The Springer is efteemed for the thick fat coating that
lines the cavity of the abdomen. The Speering, a fpecies of
Antherina, is a fmall tranfpareni fiih with a broad band, refemb-
ling a plate of filver, on each fide. The Knorbaen, a fpecies of
Trigla, or Gurnard, with two ftrong fpines on the fore part of
* Another Blennius, called the King Roek-fiih, is fometimes caught with the
former, to which, from its ihape and.refemblance to the jMurena o f the ancients,
natural ills have given the fpecific name o f Muranoides.
each
each eye, and two on the cover of the gills, is not a bad fiih ;
nor is the common Sole inferior here to that in Europe. Dolphins
are fometimes caught in the bay after a gale of wind.
That fingular fpecies of Ray fiih, the elearical torpedo, is well
known to the fiihermen by the frequent ftrokes they receive
from treading on the fmall young ones that are often thrown
upon the beach in the winter feafon. Another fpecies is ufed
for the table and eaten by the Engliih under the name of Skate.
There is alfo in fome of the rivers of the country an elearical
Silurus, but it is not eaten ; and the Bagre, a fecond fpecies of
Silurus, commonly caught in the bay, is confidered as poifon-
ous *. A fpecies of brav-fiih and different forts of crabs are
plentiful and tolerably good. Mufcles of various kinds, and
oyfters, abound on the fea-coaft ; the former of a high, ftrong
flavour, but the latter fully as good as thofe of Europe ; they
are, however, not to be procured in quantities near the Cape.
A fpecies of AJlerias or Star-fiih, and the paper /Nautilus, are
fometimes fent from hence to Europe to be placed in the
cabinets of the curious; as is alfo that fingular little animal
called by naturalifts the Syngnalhus Hippocampus, and fometimes
fea-horfe.
Few ihells or marine produaions are met with on this part
of the coaft of Africa that would be confidered as rare by the
naturalift. Small corallines, madrepores, fponges, and other
produdions of marine animals, are frequently thrown up on
* The Scorposna Cupenfts, called here Jacob Evert/on, is a firm, dry fiih, but
not very commonly ufed.
the