The History of the Island of Dominica: Containing a Description of Its Situation, Extent, Climate, Mountains, Rivers, Natural Productions, &c. &c.Atwood, Thomas
History
The History of the Island of Dominica: Containing a Description of Its Situation, Extent, Climate, Mountains, Rivers, Natural Productions, &c. &c.
Atwood, Thomas
Black people -- Dominica; Dominica -- Description and travel; Dominica -- History; Natural history -- Dominica; Slavery -- Dominica
The crocroe is an excellent fresh water fish, much of the shape of
a trout, excepting the head, which in the crocroe is more round.
Of these are caught, at times, some that will weigh from five to
six, and usually from one to two pounds. The mullet and crocroe
are generally caught with the hook and line, but sometimes they
and other river fish are taken in the night-time by negroes, who,
with a lighted torch made of a wood called “Bois chandélle,” which
burns a long time, and which being held over the water, the fish,
attracted by the light, swim towards it on the surface, when they
are chopped with cutlasses, and great quantities sometimes taken in
that manner.
The pike is a rare fish, being found in one or two particular
rivers only: they are sometimes caught of eight or ten pounds in
weight, but they are not much esteemed, being reckoned unwholesome
eating, as are also the different kinds of mud-fish, which are in
great plenty in this island.
The eel is of the silver kind, and is an excellent fish, but are
to be had in no great abundance. Of them are often caught some
that will measure from two to three feet in length, and of a
considerable thickness; when they are much esteemed, being very
fat, and of a delicious flavour.
The suck-fish is small, but a very great dainty, and is remarkable
for having a fleshy substance projecting from its navel, like the
mouth of a purse, which has the faculty of suction, and by which
the fish fastens itself so strongly to the stones in the rivers,
that it is difficult to take them with the hook and line, to which
they are often destructive: for this reason they are mostly caught
with the hands groping among the stones; in which manner these fish
are taken in great plenty by those who are dextrous at that way of
fishing.
The cray-fish are of two kinds, the one approaching the size of
the common lobster, the other that of the prawn. The first is much
admired, but the latter having a rank, muddy taste, is not in much
esteem.
But the chief dainty among the fresh-water fish in Dominica is the
young frey, with which the rivers there are filled twice or thrice
every year, and which are called by the French “Tréz tréz.” These
consist of various kinds of sea-fish just spawned, and with which
that element swarms, for some miles distance from the shore, in
numbers truly astonishing. These little creatures come into the
rivers like a living stream, and in a short time swim two or three
miles to an amazing height up the country. This they perform in
a wonderful manner, skipping over such rapid streams, as repel
their weak endeavours, from rock to rock, the surfaces of which
are covered with them: or, seeking the smoothly gliding stream at
the side of the banks, by degrees ascend the highest parts of the
rivers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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