very near being taken
by one of them, about this time of my first arrival here, when his father
was with him up in the country: for the beast flourished his tail for
him, but came not nigh enough by a yard or two; however it scared him
sufficiently.

The amphibious creatures here which I said are called by the Portuguese
cachoras-de-agua or water-dogs, are said to be as big as small mastiffs,
and are all hairy and shaggy from head to tail. They have 4 short legs, a
pretty long head and short tail; and are of a blackish colour. They live
in fresh-water ponds and oftentimes come ashore and sun themselves; but
retire to the water if assaulted. They are eaten and said to be good
food. Several of these creatures which I have now spoken of I have not
seen, but informed myself about them while I was here at Bahia, from
sober and sensible persons among the inhabitants, among whom I met with
some that could speak English.

OF THEIR SEA-FISH AND TURTLE; AND OF ST. PAUL'S TOWN.

In the sea upon this coast there is great store and diversity of fish,
namely jew-fish for which there is a great market at Bahia in Lent:
tarpon, mullet, grouper, snook, garfish (called here goolions) gorasses,
barramas, coquindas, cavallies, cachoras (or dogfish) conger eels,
herring (as I was told) the serrew, the olio-de-boy (I write and spell
them just as they were named to me) whales, etc.

Here is also shellfish (though in less plenty about Bahia than on other
parts of the coast) namely lobsters, crawfish, shrimps, crabs, oysters of
the common sort, conches, wilks, cockles, mussels, periwinkles, etc. Here
are three sorts of sea-turtle, namely hawksbill, loggerhead, and green:
but none of them are in any esteem, neither Spaniards nor Portuguese
loving them: nay they have a great antipathy against them, and would much
rather eat a porpoise, though our English count the green turtle very
extraordinary food. The reason that is commonly given in the West Indies
for the Spaniards not caring to eat of them is the fear they have lest,
being usually foul-bodied and many of them poxed (lying, as they do, so
promiscuously with their negrines and other she-slaves) they should break
out loathsomely like lepers; which this sort of food, it is said, does
much incline men to do, searching the body, and driving out any such
gross humours: for which cause many of our English valetudinarians have
gone from Jamaica (though there they have also turtle) to the island