The sea is plentifully stocked with fish of divers sorts, namely
dolphins, bonetas, mullet, snapper, silver-fish, garfish, etc. And here
is a good bay to haul a seine or net in. I hauled mine several times, and
to good purpose; dragging ashore at one time 6 dozen of great fish, most
of them large mullet of a foot and a half or two foot long. Here are also
porpoises, and a small sort of whales that commonly visit this road every
day. I have already said that the months of May, June, July and August
(that is, the wet season) are the time when the green-turtle come hither
and go ashore to lay their eggs. I look upon it as a thing worth taking
notice of that the turtle should always, both in north and south
latitude, lay their eggs in the wet months. It might be thought,
considering what great rains there are then in some places where these
creatures lay, that their eggs should be spoiled by them. But the rain,
though violent, is soon soaked up by the sand wherein the eggs are
buried; and perhaps sinks not so deep into it as the eggs are laid: and
keeping down the heat may make the sand hotter below than it was before,
like a hot-bed. Whatever the reason may be why Providence determines
these creatures to this season of laying their eggs, rather than the dry,
in fact it is so, as I have constantly observed; and that not only with
the sea-turtle but with all other sorts of amphibious animals that lay
eggs; as crocodiles, alligators, iguanas etc. The inhabitants of this
island, even their governor and padres, are all negroes, wool-pated like
their African neighbours; from whom it is like they are descended;
though, being subjects to the Portuguese, they have their religion and
language. They are stout, lusty, well-limbed people, both men and women,
fat and fleshy; and they and their children as round and plump as little
porpoises; though the island appears so barren to a stranger as scarce to
have food for its inhabitants. I enquired how many people there might be
on the isle; and was told by one of the padres that here were 230 souls
in all. The negro governor has his patent from the Portuguese governor of