of crabs and traits

Life-size drawing of a Brazilian crab,belonging to the genus Potamobius( Crustacea,Macrura)
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0147%28193105%2F06%2965%3A698%3C277%3ASOAOC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-8&size=LARGE

"krebs", Bachkrebse in the original German,in
Dutch Brazil "-The Thierbuch" and
Autobiography"
of Zacharias Wagener
Rio de Janeiro
Editora Index
1997






Drawings
by Marguerita
for
The Little Shell
(unpublished book project)
by Farida Gadalla

http://www.nycornell.org/anesthesiology/pdf/pregnancy.pdf


CARANGUEJO- in Portuguese,the general term for a variety of crustaceans.The one here, as depicted in the diaries of Wagener's,is faithfully a type of land crab,a gregarious and terrestrial species frequently used for food and appearing principally near mangroves,where they dig deep tunnels in the mud.
When needs forces,this old friend out of his lair in search of prey to eat,moves far from his abode,frequently not able to find his original home;so with his two claws raised in a threatening manner,he approaches people and runs after them.These people,knock the crab down, with a small club,which puts a stop to its arrogance.
Yet those people ( we are talking about the times of Dutch Brazil),who have only been in Brazil for a short time,recently arrived from Europe,and who have not seen these repulsive animals before,cry out,scream and run as if (these animals) were the devil himself in person.The Brazilians in particular know how to seize them with great skill; and they roast them a little and eat them with neither salt nor fat,enjoying them greatly and making much of it.

DUTCH BRAZIL- The "Thierbuch" and "Autobiography"
of Zacharias Wagener

photograph by marguerita in St.Barts 1994