Besides other Methods of Fishing they have Spears which they throw with Great exactness, these are 14 or 16 feet long pointed with two prongs of Toa — they use no line but if they Stricke a Fish they swim after it; they have others with Several Prongs which they throw at random among the Schools and frequently kill two or three at a time.

They seldom kill any whales but young ones which get entangled among the reefs, and thrown over by the surf into Shoal water; when they find one in this situation they attack him with their war Spears & kill him, tho they sometimes get their Canoes dashd to pieces by him.

Among the Fish there Is a kind of Conger Eel of a Brownish Collour with a Green border round the Fins from Head to tail. They are Caught about the reefs and are of different sizes from one to Six feet long; these Fish are of a Poisonus Nature to some and if eaten gives the most excrutiating pain while others who eat of it feel no effects nor do the Natives know who will be affected by it, till they have eaten it. As they have a remedy for it they take no account of the matter and eat them at a venture. I partook of one of these Fish without feeling the smallest effects from its poison, while another who eat of the same Fish was almost raving mad, His Body and limbs swelld to a very extraordinary degree and Covered with red blotches and at the same time the Hands & feet itching in Such a Manner as to be unsufferable and burning as if on fire, the Eyes swelld and firey and to appearance fit to start from the Sockets, this Continued with short intermissions for Eight Days but in the Course of a Week more by the assistance of some of the Priests who procured Medicines he got quite well, but often found a great itching in the Palms of the Hands & hollow of the feet — These Fish are Calld by the Natives Puhhe Pirrerowtee and as they dont know the Good from the Bad they are loth to throw them away and therefore eat them to make sure of them — they have also a small red Crab, not bigger then a small horse bean, which [they] say will kill a man Instantly if he eats it. These are the only poisonous things we ever heard of except the Hootdoo or Hootnut before-mentioned, but this tho it Stupifies the Fish will not effect a Man.

Indigenous Histories