object against the eating of a new Fish in the West-Indies, for there are certainly some of them, which if eaten, prove poisonous at some seasons of the Year, at least many People have told me so.
If this be the Fish spoke of by Lact, p. 27. where he calls it Piscis congro forma similis venenatus; he says 'twas venemous both to Dutch and English.
After two or three days Calm, being carried Weft with rouling Seas, on the Sixth we had about the Tropick a small North-Easterly Gale, which began low, rising by degrees till it came to a pretty strong Wind, and was fixed for a while between North and East, being concluded by the Seamen to be the Trade-Wind, which blows not always from the fame Point, but generally on the North-side of the Equinoctial within this Tropick; in this Sea it blows Of the Trade-Wind. between North and East, though at several times of the Year 'tis ufually more Southerly or Northerly according to the Suns place in the Zodiack. Neither does this Trade-Wind keep the same Point, but varies every hour, though those two Points are uſually the utmost bounds: neither is the Trade-Wind constantly of the same vehemence, but sometimes blows very hard, though rarely Stormy; and at other times very easie, though seldom Calm. There is very seldom Rain with this Wind, though when it comes the Drops are thick, and it is violent. The Weather here was generally clear, though sometimes Hazy, especially about the Horizon, the Zenith being seldom over-clouded.
We had feveral days without any remarkable matter happening, save that flying-Fishes were here very frequent: the Description and Figure of which is common in most Natural Hiſtorians, therefore I shall not say more, only that it is a kind of Herring with very large Fins, with which it can fly some time Of Flying-Fishes. in the Air when pursued by Dolphins, Boneto's, &c. and that it is taken notice of by Voyagers, and Natural Historians as follows, to me it seems to deserve the name of Harengus Alatus.
Flying-Fishes of Cocks. Purchas, 398. Of Best. ib. p. 466. Purchas, 37. Pesci Rondini di Col. f. 32. Hirundo Salviani, p. 185. Volatiles Pisces, Laet. p. 572. Bokery, a Flying-Fish of Duddeley, 576. Hirundo, Bellon, p. 193. Mugil Alatus Rondelet. p. 267. Fernand. p. 87. Flying-Fidhes of Cliffe, Hakl. part. 3. p. 750. Of Ligon. p. 4. Of Terry, p. 11. Hirundo Salviani, quoad iconem. Willughby, Tab. p. 4. Poissons Volans de Cauche, p. 140. De Lambert. p.42. Abbeville, p. 30, 31. Peces que bolan Lop. de Gom. cap. 91. Pirabebe 2. Pison. ed. 1658. p. 61. Flying-Fishes of an Anonymus, Portugal in Brasile, Purchas, lib. 7. cap. I. p. 1314. Of Mandelslo, p. 196. and 211. Of Hawkins Hakl. p. 520. Sir Rich. Hawkins, p. 42. Of Drake, p. 732. Hakl. p. 3. Of John Davis, Purchas, 132. Of Layfield, ib. 1157. Poissons Volans de Rochef. p. 183. de Du Tertre, 212. de Feynes, p. 205. Du Molinet. p. 205. Du Pyrard. de la Val. p. 6. Linfehot. Descr. Pescados Boladores, de Oviedo, lib. 13. cap. 2. and cap. 5. Volatori ejusd. sum, p. 132. who is of Opinion they are not the Golondrinos of the Spanish Seas, at least he saw them not in those Seas; they fly Two hundred Paces, and when their Fins are dry fall down. They fly sometimes on one, sometimes on the other side: and are pursued and taken by Giltheads, and out of the Water by Sea Mews and Cormorants, id. sum.
They came on Board our Ship every where between the Tropicks, flying out of the Water and lighting thereon by accident. They are very good Victuals, tasting like a Fresh-Herring They are common in most parts of the East and West-Indies; in Japan, and the Isles Ladrones, where they are eaten. They are sometimes more in one place of the Sea than another, for Oviedo who cross'd the Seas many times to the West-Indies, tells us that the Seas are like Provinces, some are Fertile in Fishes, others not, according to the Winds.
