Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

WE

CHA P. IV.

Of FISH.

E will now make a Voyage upon the World of Waters, and confider the Inhabitants which people this liquid Element. How wonderfully the Hand of Almighty Wisdom has formed and adapted them to the Place of their Abode! An oily, glutinous Matter fpreads itfelf all over their Bodies, which not only enables them to glide more freely through the Water, but alfo prevents it from penetrating their Skin, and ftarving them with Cold. They are furnished with Fins, which ballance and keep them upright; with a furprizing Strength and Motion in their Tails, which ferve to row theni forward with great Swiftnefs; and with a Bladder of Air, by contracting of which they fink to the Bottom, or by dilating it rife to the Top at pleafure. The Center of Gravity is placed in the fittest Part of the Body for fwimming, and their Shape is the most commodious for making way through the Water. They have Gills, by which they refpire as Land Animals do by their Lungs, and their Eyes are formed in a peculiar manner, correfpondent to the Element in which they live. Fishes are ufually confidered as Sea or Salt-Water Fish; River, or Fresh-Water Fish; and Pond, or Lake Fifh. They are alfo diftinguished into cetaceous, cartilaginous, and fpinous. The cetaceous Kind have Lungs, and breathe like Animals, and conceive and bring forth their Young like them, which they afterwards fuckle with their Milk. The cartilaginous breathe with Gills, and are produced from Eggs, like Birds. The fpinous are provided with fmall sharp Bones to fupport and ftrengthen their Mufcles, and are generally produced from Spawn. I will give you the Natural Hiftory of two or three of the most remarkable Fishes, and then proceed to the Confideration of Infects.

Whale.

Of all the Inhabitants of the Water, the
WHALE is the largeft, particularly thofe found of the
in the North Seas, which are fome of them 200
Feet in Length, and of a Bulk proportionable.

Its Head is about one third Part of its whole Length, on the Top of which is what they call the Hovil or Bump, in which are two Spout-Holes, from whence, either in Sport or when wounded, he throws the Water with fuch Force,

P 2

that

that it roars like a hollow Wind, or the Sea in a Storm, and may be heard at the diftance of a League. His Eyes are not much bigger than those of an Ox, and placed near the Corner of his Mouth. The Flesh is coarfe, hard, and lean, the Fat lying only between the Flesh and Skin. That which we call the Whalebone, is found in the Mouth and Throat, in every Whale perhaps 500 Pieces, each 15 Feet long, They never have more than two young ones at a time, and how long they go with young is uncertain. The Drug called Sperma Ceti, is the Brain of the Whale refined and purified by feveral Meltings. The Whale Fishery is a Trade of vaft Confequence, employing upwards of 200 Veffels every Year, the greatest Part of which are Dutch, who for near 150 Years have engroffed the greatest Part of this valuable Trade to themselves. All that the Fishermen concern themfelves with, is the Blubber or Fat, the Whalebone, and the Brain. The lean Part of the Carcafs is left upon the Ice for the Bears, who are very fond of it. The Manner of taking them is with a Harpoon, or Harping-Iron, which is a large Iron Spear, or Javelin, five or fix Feet long, with a triangular Point, barbed like an Arrow. This the Harponeer throws at the Head of the Whale with all his Force, a Line being faftened to it, and if he is fo lucky as to penetrate the Flefh, immediately they let out the Line, and the Whale dives to the Bottom with great Swiftnefs. But coming up again for Breath, they wound him a-fresh, till growing faint with lofs of Blood, they at length venture fo near him, as to thrust a long Launce under his Gills into his Breaft, which foon difpatches him.

Of the
Herring.

The HERRING is a focial Fish, generally fwiming in large Shoals together. It is fo well known, that a Defcription of it is needlefs. It dies immediately upon being taken out of Water, from whence arifes the Proverb, As dead as a Herring. The Herring Fishery is a very valuable Trade, engroffed alfo by the Dutch, who employ near a thousand Veffels therein. They are found chiefly upon our own Coafts in the North Sea; and the Dutch begin their Fishing the 24th of June. They are called Red or White Herrings, according to the different Manner in which they are cured. White or pickled Herrings are thus prepared. Immediately upon taking them out of the Sea, they are cut open, gutted, and washed in fresh Water; then put into a Tub of ftrong Brine made with fresh Water and Sea Salt, where they are left for the Space of twelve or fifteen

Hours;

Hours; then they are taken out, well drained, and carefully put up in Barrels, prefs'd clofe and laid even; a Layer of Salt is put up at the Bottom and Top of the Barrel, which is then ftopped fo close that no Air can get in, nor Brine out, which would be very prejudicial to the Fish; and in this manner they are fent all over Europe. The way of preparing Red Herrings is exactly the fame, only they let them lie twice as long in the Brine, and when taken out they hang them up by the Head; about ten or twelve thousand at a time in a kind of Chimney made on purpose, under which is made a fmoaky Fire of Brufh-wood, where they are fmoaked and dry'd for about 24 Hours, and then barrelled up for use.

of the

Salmon.

Of all River-fifh, the SALMON is chief, tho', whether it can properly be called a River-fith, or not, is doubtful; for they enter the Fresh Water about February or March, where they continue. till Autumn, when they caft their Spawn, and foon after return to the Sea. It is faid, by those who are acquainted with thefe Fish, that the Salt Water beft promotes their Growth; but that Fresh Water moft contributes to make them fat. Its Agility in leaping over Weirs, or any other Obftacles which oppofe its Paffage to or from the Sea, is furprizing; they have been obferved to throw themselves up Cataracts and Precipices many Yards high. And when it fo happens, that their Paffage is effectually intercepted, they foon grow lean and fickly, and in a Year or two's time languish away

and die.

of the

Terio fe or

Turtle.

The TORTOISE is an amphibious Animal, living both by Land and Water. It is covered with an oval Shell, curioufly clouded and marbled with various Colours, of which are made Snuffboxes, Combs, &c. It is a dull, ftupid Animal, its Brains being no bigger than a fmall Bean, tho' its Head is almost as big as a Calf's. They feed upon Mofs, Grafs, or Sea-weed. They are produced from Eggs as big as thofe of a Hen, only round as a Ball; of which they lay feveral Hundreds in a Seafon, near the Shore of the Sea, covering them with Sand; and about twenty-five Days after laying, the Eggs are hatched by the Heat of the Sun; and the little Turtles being about as big as young Quails, run directly to the Sea. A Tortoife of a common Size, will yield about 200 Pound of Flefh, which the Sailors preferve with Salt; and near 3c0 Eggs, which will keep a confiderable Time. Some part of the Flesh is

P 3

white,

white, and eats like Veal without any fifhy Tafte; and other Parts are like Mutton and Beef.

Of the
Crocodile,

The CROCODILE is alfo an amphibious Creature, capable of living either in the Water, or upon dry Land. The Place where they moft abound is the River Nile in Egypt, but they are alfo found in fome Parts of India and Africa. Their Form refembles that of the Lizard; and they are of a yellow Colour like Saffron. They are produced from an Egg no larger than that of a Goofe, of which the Female lays one every Day for about fifty Days, making first a Hole about two Feet deep in the Sand, and above the Overflow of the Tide, in which they depofite them during the time of Incubation; and in about twenty-five or thirty Days they are hatched, and immediately run into the Water. From fo fmall a Beginning proceeds this monftrous Serpent, the Size of which is from ten to fifteen Cubits in length, and they are faid to grow as long as they live, which is fuppofed to be about fixty Years. It is a general Obfervation, and is affirmed by Herodotus, that the Crocodile has no Tongue; but Dr. Pococke affures us, that it has a fleshy Substance like a Tongue, fixed all along to the lower Jaw, which may ferve him to turn his Meat. He has two long Teeth at the End of his lower Jaw, and there are two Holes in the upper, into which thefe Teeth are directed; and when he opens or fhuts his Mouth, he moves, contrary to all other Animals, only the upper Jaw. Herodotus and Pliny fay, that they lie hid in Caves during the Winter Seafon, and eat no Food; but Dr. Pococke affirms, that he faw them in great Abundance all the Month of January. The common Method of killing them is by fhooting them into the Belly; for the Scales of their Back and Sides are fo hard, that they are almost impenetrable even to a Bullet. They are a wily, cunning Creature, and it is faid, that when they fee a fingle Man, whom they are defirous of drawing into their Clutches, they will weep and figh, and make moft lamentable Moan, as if in the utmost Diftrefs, till they have drawn him near enough for their Purpose, when fuddenly fpringing upon him, they beat him down with their Tails, and immediately deftroy him.

This is beautifully defcribed by our old Poet Spenser, in that Pallage where he compares the dangerous Diffimula

1 Fairy gen, Book I. Cant. 5. Stanza 18.

tion

tion and treacherous Tears of Dueffa (or Falfhood) to the Crocodile.

As when a weary Traveller, that strays
By muddy Shore of broad feven-mouthed Nile,
Unweeting of the perilous wand'ring Ways,
Doth meet a cruel crafty Crocodile,
Which in falfe Grief hiding his harmful Guile,
Doth weep full fore, and fheddeth tender Tears;
The foolish Man, that pities all the while

His mournful Plight, is fwallow'd up unawares,
Forgetful of his own, that minds another's Cares.

It is hence, that hypocritical or affected Grief and Weeping, is by the common Proverb ftyl'd, Crocodile's Tears.

There is alfo a fpecious Sophifm in Rhetoric, call'd a Crocodile, which Mr. Chambers in his Dictionary, fays, had its Name from the following Occafion, invented by the Poets.

-A poor Woman begging a Crocodile that had caught her Son walking by the River Side, to spare and restore him; was anfwer'd, That he would fpare and reftore him, provided fhe, would give a true Anfwer to the Queftion he fhould propofe : The Queftion was, Will I reflore thy Son or not? To this the poor Woman, fufpecting a Deceit, forrowfully answered, Thou wilt not: And demanded to have him reftored, because the had anfwered truly. Thou lyeft, faid the Crocodile, for if I reftore him, thou haft not answered truly: I cannot therefore restore him without making thy Answer false.

L

CHA P. V.

Of INSECT S.

ET us now make an Infpection into the minuter Part of the Creation, and confider fome of the various Tribes of Infects which people the Earth and Air. But you will perhaps imagine, that there can be nothing worthy of Notice in fuch fmall and infignificant Creatures. In order to take off this Objection, it may not be amifs, before I proceed to give you an Account of any of the particular Species, juft to fhew you that the Hand of Providence is extended in a particular manner to the Cire of thefe feeble Tribes; and that his

[blocks in formation]
« ForrigeFortsæt »