Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 3 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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Notwithstanding The Small Size Of Our Bark And The Boasted Skill Of
Our Pilot, We Often Ran Aground.
The bottom being soft, there was no
danger; but, nevertheless, at sunset, near the pass of Don Cristoval,
we preferred to lie at anchor.
The first part of the night was
beautifully serene: we saw an incalculable number of falling-stars,
all following one direction, opposite to that from whence the wind
blew in the low regions of the atmosphere. The most absolute solitude
prevails in this spot, which, in the time of Columbus, was inhabited
and frequented by great numbers of fishermen. The inhabitants of Cuba
then employed a small fish to take the great sea turtles; they
fastened a long cord to the tail of the reves (the name given by the
Spaniards to that species of Echeneis*). (* To the sucet or guaican of
the natives of Cuba the Spaniards have given the characteristic name
of reves, that is, placed on its back, or reversed. In fact, at first
sight, the position of the back and the abdomen is confounded.
Anghiera says: Nostrates reversum appellant, quia versus venatur. I
examined a remora of the South Sea during the passage from Lima to
Acapulco. As he lived a long time out of the water, I tried
experiments on the weight he could carry before the blades of the disk
loosened from the plank to which the animal was fixed; but I lost that
part of my journal. It is doubtless the fear of danger that causes the
remora not to loose his hold when he feels that he is pulled by a cord
or by the hand of man.
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