The Weymouth’s Barge rowing up Gambia River, a Shirk made to them, and notwithstanding the noise of so many Oars, seized one of them in his Mouth, and snapped it in two.
At Whydah, a very dangerous Coast to land at, having two Bars before it, and great Seas; a Canoo was going on shore from a Merchant-Ship with some Goods, and in attempting to land, overset: A Shirk nigh hand, seized upon one of the Men in the Water, and by the Swell of the Sea, they were both cast on shore; notwithstanding which, the Shirk never quitted his hold, but with the next Ascend of the Sea, carried him clear off.
In short, their Voracity refuses nothing; Canvas, Ropeyarns, Bones, Blanketing, &c. I have seen them frequently seize a Corpse, as soon as it was committed to the Sea; tearing and devouring that, and the Hammock that shrouded it, without suffering it once to sink, tho’ a great Weight of Ballast in it.
There are in the Bays of this River, variety of good Fish, that supplies the Scarcity of Flesh; Turtle, Mullet, Skate, [6]Ten-pounders, [7]Old-wives, [8]Cavalloes, [9]Barricudoes, [10]Sucking-Fish, Oysters, [11]Cat-Fish, Bream, and Numb-Fish; the most of which we catch’d in great numbers with our Searn; two or three Hours in a Morning supplying a Belly-full to the whole Ship’s Company.
The Oysters and Numb-Fish have something peculiar; the former growing, or rather sticking in great Bunches of twenty or thirty, upon the Rocks and Mangroves, to which they seemingly grow, very small and ill-tasted.
The latter, which is the Torpedo of the Ancients, is flat as a Skate, so very cold as to numb the Hands or Arms of those who touch him, but goes off again in few Hours; and with a Stick you may toss him about a Day together without any other Harm than losing your time.
Remark 3. The Country about Sierraleon is so thick spread with Wood, that you cannot penetrate a Pole’s length from the Water-side, unless between the Town, and Fountain whence they fetch their Water, without a great deal of difficulty. They have Paths however through these Woods, to their [12]Lollas, and [13]Lugars, which tho’ but a mile or two from the Town, are frequently the Walks of wild Beasts; their Excrement I have found up and down in walking here, white and mixed with Ossicles.
The Shores hereabouts, like those of Sweden, are rocky, and without any Cover of Earth almost; yet produce large Trees, the Roots spreading on the Surface: The chief of these are the Palm, the Coco, and the Cotton-Tree, described p. 198, in the first Volume of the History of the Pyrates.
Other Vegetables for Food are Rice, Yams, [14]Plantanes, [15]Pine-Apples, [ [16]]Limes, Oranges, [17]Papais, Palm-nuts, wild Roots, and Berries.