Note 96 — THE OBSERVATIONS OF SIR RICHARD HAWKINS, KNIGHT, IN HIS VOYAGE INTO THE SOUTH SEA. (continued 2)

This story seems to be founded on the fact that the snout of the sword fish is often found driven through parts of vessels’ bottoms; whence it has been inferred, the fish mistook them for whales. We imagine the account of the thresher to be fabulous.