- "The coast of this province" (Ivongo, the N.E. of the Island)
"abounds with whales, and during a certain period of the year Antongil Bay
is a favourite resort for whalers of all nations. The inhabitants of
Titingue are remarkably expert in spearing the whales from their slight
canoes." (Lloyd in J.R.G.S. XX. 56.) A description of the
whale-catching process practised by the Islanders of St. Mary's, or Nusi
Ibrahim, is given in the Quinta Pars Indiae Orientalis of De Bry, p. 9.
Owen gives a similar account (I. 170).
The word which I have rendered Oil-heads is Capdoilles or Capdols,
representing Capidoglio, the appropriate name still applied in Italy to
the Spermaceti whale. The Vocab. Ital. Univ. quotes Ariosto (VII. 36): -
- "I Capidogli co' vecchi marini
Vengon turbati dal lor pigro sonno."
The Spermaceti-whale is described under this name by Rondeletius, but from
his cut it is clear he had not seen the animal.
NOTE 4. - De Barros, after describing the dangers of the Channel of
Mozambique, adds: "And as the Moors of this coast of Zanguebar make their
voyages in ships and sambuks sewn with coir, instead of being nailed like
ours, and thus strong enough to bear the force of the cold seas of the
region about the Cape of Good Hope,.. they never dared to attempt the
exploration of the regions to the westward of the Cape of Currents,
although they greatly desired to do so." (Dec.
