his long upper jaw, obliges him to turn himſelf almoſt round upon his back in order to ſeize any object above him; ſo that his white belly, which the tranſparency of the ſea-water renders diſtinguiſhable even at a great depth below the ſurface, points out to the fiſherman the exact moment when he ought to draw his line, in order to faſten this voracious fiſh to his hook.
Nature has amply provided it with the means of ſecuring its prey; for beſides ſeveral rows of teeth formed in the manner moſt adapted for penetrating the hardeſt bodies, the internal part of the mouth is likewiſe furniſhed with various aſperities that ſerve to prevent the egreſs of any ſubſtance that it has laid hold of.
Had we been trading to India, we ſhould not have failed to collect a quantity of the fins of this fiſh, as they are in great requeſt amongſt the Chineſe, who believe them to be a very powerful aphrodiſiac.
When the air was calm the heat was extremely oppreſſive: the thermometer however ſtood no higher than 23°; although we were not more than 9° north of the equator. Our longitude was 20° 50′ eaſt. It appears that in theſe parts the thermometer affords a very inadequate ſtandard of the ſenſible heat of the atmoſphere; for though it indicated ſeveral degrees lower than
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