The amphibious creatures here which I said are called by the Portuguese cachoras-de-agua or water-dogs, are said to be as big as small mastiffs, and are all hairy and shaggy from head to tail.  They have 4 short legs, a pretty long head and short tail; and are of a blackish colour.  They live in fresh-water ponds and oftentimes come ashore and sun themselves; but retire to the water if assaulted.  They are eaten and said to be good food.  Several of these creatures which I have now spoken of I have not seen, but informed myself about them while I was here at Bahia, from sober and sensible persons among the inhabitants, among whom I met with some that could speak English.

Of their sea-fish and turtle; and of st. Paul’s town.

In the sea upon this coast there is great store and diversity of fish, namely jew-fish for which there is a great market at Bahia in Lent:  tarpon, mullet, grouper, snook, garfish (called here goolions) gorasses, barramas, coquindas, cavallies, cachoras (or dogfish) conger eels, herring (as I was told) the serrew, the olio-de-boy (I write and spell them just as they were named to me) whales, etc.

Here is also shellfish (though in less plenty about Bahia than on other parts of the coast) namely lobsters, crawfish, shrimps, crabs, oysters of the common sort, conches, wilks, cockles, mussels, periwinkles, etc.  Here are three sorts of sea-turtle, namely hawksbill, loggerhead, and green:  but none of them are in any esteem, neither Spaniards nor Portuguese loving them:  nay they have a great antipathy against them, and would much rather eat a porpoise, though our English count the green turtle very extraordinary food.  The reason that is commonly given in the West Indies for the Spaniards not caring to eat of them is the fear they have lest, being usually foul-bodied and many of them poxed (lying, as they do, so promiscuously with their negrines and other she-slaves) they should break out loathsomely like lepers; which this sort of food, it is said, does much incline men to do, searching the body, and driving out any such gross humours:  for which cause many of our English valetudinarians have gone from Jamaica (though there they have also turtle) to the island Cayman, at the laying time, to live wholly upon turtle that then abound there; purposely to have their bodies scoured by this food, and their distempers driven out; and have been said to have found many of them good success in it.  But this by the way.  The hawksbill-turtle on this coast of Brazil is most sought after of any, for its shell; which by report of those I have conversed with at Bahia, is the clearest and best clouded tortoise-shell in the world.  I had some of it shown me which was indeed as good as ever I saw.  They get a pretty deal of it in some parts on this coast; but it is very dear.