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 made them hard: This being done suddenly, kept the Pores as wide when the Steel was cold, as it was when it was acted upon by the Fires. He did not venture, indeed, to polish the Plates, lest he should stop the Pores by rubbing upon them. Through these three Windows we look'd into the Sea; for the Holes through which the Light pass'd were too small to suffer the least Particle of Water to enter at, and avoided many Rocks, as well as observ'd the Behaviour of the Fishes. I could observe some moving gently along for their Recreation, and others, with a more thoughtful Countenance, moving precipitantly, to dispatch some Business. There was a Fish taken Prisoner by two others at our Right Side: I judg'd that he was taken Prisoner, by his being seiz'd by the Gills, and forcibly carried back by the Road he came. His Crime, I suppose, was Theft; for he carried a Piece of Flesh in his Mouth, which he dropp'd as soon as he was seiz'd; but it was taken up by one of his Attendants. We were desirous to know what would be the Event of this that we had seen, and accordingly desir'd our old Gentleman to steer after them.

Happy had it been for us, if we had not been so curious; for our Pilot, instead of minding his Way, was taken up in considering whether he might not demonstrate a mathematical Problem by the Motions of those Fishes Tails. In this profound Contemplation he was so wholly taken up with observing the Fishes Tails, that he took no Notice of a Rock, which he should have left at the Larboard-Side, but drove directly against it, and split the Boat. I spy'd the Rock as we were upon it; but it was too late to prevent the certain Death which I immediately expected. Our Boat came with great Violence against the Rock, (for we made all the Way we could,) and split into an hundred Pieces: We should all have immediately perish'd, had it not