“The sea affords a much greater plenty, and at least as great a variety, as the land.  Of these the elephant fish, or pejegallo, mentioned in Frezier’s voyage,[136] are the most numerous; and though inferior to many other fish, were very palatable food.  Several large rays, nurses, and small leather-jackets, were caught; with some small white bream, which were firmer and better than those caught in the lake.  We likewise got a few soles and flounders; two sorts of gurnards, one of them a new species; some small spotted mullet; and, very unexpectedly, the small fish with a silver band on its side, called atherina hipsetus by Hasseiquist."[137]

[Footnote 136:  Tom. ii. p. 211. 12mo.  Planche XVII.]

[Footnote 137:  Iter Palastinum.]

“But that next in number, and superior in goodness, to the elephant fish, was a sort none of us recollected to have seen before.  It partakes of the nature both of a round and of a flat fish, having the eyes placed very near each other; the fore-part of the body much flattened or depressed, and the rest rounded.  It is of a brownish sandy colour, with rusty spots on the upper part, and whitish below.  From the quantity of slime it was always covered with, it seems to live after the manner of flat fish, at the bottom.”

“Upon the rocks are plenty of muscles, and some other small shell-fish.  There are also great numbers of sea-stars; some small limpets; and large quantities of sponge; one sort of which, that is thrown on shore by the sea, but not very common, has a most delicate texture; and another, is the spongia dichotoma.”

“Many pretty Medusa’s heads were found upon the beach; and the stinking laplysia or sea-hare, which, as mentioned by some authors, has the property of taking off the hair by the acrimony of its juice; but this sort was deficient in this respect.”

“Insects, though not numerous, are here in considerable variety.  Amongst them are grasshoppers, butterflies, and several sorts of small moths, finely variegated.  There are two sorts of dragon-flies, gad-flies, camel-flies; several sorts of spiders; and some scorpions; but the last are rather rare.  The most troublesome, though not very numerous tribe of insects, are the musquitoes; and a large black ant, the pain of whose bite is almost intolerable, during the short time it lasts.  The musquitoes, also, make up the deficiency of their number, by the severity of their venomous proboscis.”

“The inhabitants whom we met with here, had little of that fierce or wild appearance common to people in their situation; but, on the contrary, seemed mild and cheerful, without reserve or jealousy of strangers.  This, however, may arise from their having little to lose or care for.”