26 Voyage to JAMAICA.
occasion less disturbance from this sort of Vermine, yet I am certain both Indians, Moors, and Europeans, who live there are subject to them, though they be not in so great plently as in more Northerly Countries where the Inhabitants Sweat less, and go better Cloathed, in the Plies of which Apparel these Creatures find good shelter. I cannot on this occasion pass by a Matter of Curiosity relating to the Plica Polonica, a strange Diseafe frequent in Poland, which comes from the intangling many Locks of the Hair, and has very odd Symptoms attend it, one of which is, that on cutting of it off, it endangers the Person who had it. There are several Opinions about it, but many believe it to be only the effect of Laziness, and not Combing the Hair; I am very apt to believe this, because Dr. Connor gave me some of the Plica he cut off a Person in Poland, in which was an innumerable quantity of Lice and Nits lodged amongst, and at the bottom of the Hair. 'Tis very odd that when these Locks are cut off they should grow sickly, but it may be this way easily answered, that carrying off so much humor, or being a Nesst for so many Lice, they do something like a Pea in an Issue, discharge the Blood, which when it is cut off is no longer done. That Lice constantly suck the Blood is certain from Persons Fluxed whose Blood is no sooner impregnated with Mercury than all these kind of Vermine swell, drop off, and dye.
When we came near to the Tropick we were call'd upon for our Tropick-Money, that is to say, we who had never before crossed that Line to the South, must now give either so much Money, as by the usage of Seamen we shall be tax'd, to make them Drink, or be duck'd thrice into the Sea from the Yard Arm, we chose rather the first, and so were free.
The sixth Day was taken a Fish which was thought to be a Barracooda, but was not so, it was taken with a Flying-Fish Bait, such as are made use of for Boneto's. I called it Serpens Marinus, compressus, lividus.
This Fish was three Foot feven Inches long, an Inch and a half broad near the Head, where broadest, having a long Head, sharp, or ending in a point, with the Mandibles Prominent, in which were many Teeth in each of the Jaws, very fharp and threatning, the Under Jaw was longer than the Tab.1. Fig.2. Upper, and ended in a Callous Substance, the Tongue was bony, and shap'd like an Arrow-Head, the Gills very red: its Eyes were round of an Inch Diameter: it had two Fins at the Gills, one long one all over the Back, and one from the Anus wav'd towards the Tail, which was forked, it was all over smooth without Scales, of a Livid colour, and its flesh was full of Bones. Its Efophagus, if any, was very fhort, its Ventricle fill'd with small Fish like Anchovies. The Guts had one or two Circumvolutions. The Cæcum was very long, extending its self to the Anus, and fill'd with the Contents of the Stomach, its Diaphragme Membranous: its Liver large, with a Gall-Bladder, containing in it watery Gall. There were under the Guts two long Bodies went to the Anus, which I take to be the Kidnies: It had in it two forts of Worms, the one round and Cristalline, the other long, rowling themselves spirally like a Snail.
This Fish was taken about the Tropick of Cancer, with a Bait, such as is used for Dolphins and Boneto's, viz. a flying-Fish, or Hook dressed like it. It was a great dispute among the Seamen whether it should be eaten or not, most People saying its Livid colour was a sufficient Argument against it; but this is no manner of Reason, for Fishes much Swarthier are eaten in many places. One who had been a Privateer, and in the South-Seas, where sometimes they had hard Fare, and met with new kinds of Fishes, assured us, that in such Disputes they usually tasted the Heart, which if sweet they thought a good Argument for the use of them in Victuals, if not, they were usually rejected as poisonous, how far true my Relator must answer, for my part I believe it as little as the former: but there is a very good Reason toobject
