· preface ln these little sketches o f a few out o f the innumerable multitude of ways in which...

IDYLLS OF THE SEA

AND

Other Marin e Sketches

FRANK T . BULLEN ,

FIRST MATEA ! THOR 0? THE

‘CR! ISE OF THE CACHALOT

’

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY J. ST . LOE STRACHEY

Manon

GRANT R I CHARD S9 HENRIETTA STREET COVENT GARDEN

,W.C .

MY D EAR W IFE

TH I S L ITTLE BOOK1 5 A F F E CT I O N AT E LY

D EDICATED

MO ST of these sketches are,by the courtesy o f

the proprietors,reprinted from the Spectator ;

the others have appeared in various magazines— the Cornb z’ll

,Go od Words

,Sunday Magaz ine,

Cbambers’

s 70mm ! , Country L ife, National

Rev iew ,and Pall Mall Gaz ette. To the pro

prieto rs of all these j ournals my hearty thanksfo r their kind permission to republish are herebyoEered.

FRANK T . BULLEN.

PREFACE

lN these little sketches o f a few out o f theinnumerable multitude of ways in which the sea

has spoken to me during my long acquaintancewith it

,I have tried with ’prentice hand to repro

duce for shore - dwellers some of the things ithas told me . If I were to stop and consider Whatother men

,freeholders upon the upper slopes of

the l iterary Olympus,have done in the same

direction,I should not dare to put forth this

little book .

Let my plea be that I have not seen with theireyes nor heard with their ears

,but with mine own .

This may have some weight with my judgesthose Who will buy the wares I have to sell .

FRANK T. BULLEN .

Feé. 1899.

INTROD ! CT ION

MR . BULLEN ’S work in l iterature requires n o

introduction . If it ever d id,i t has received o ne

so complete from Mr . Kipl ing , that not anotherword is n eeded . Mr . K ipl ing , in phrases as happyas they are generous

,has exactly described the

character of Mr . Bullen’s writings . After that,

to commend him to the publ ic is superfluous .However

,in sp ite o f this

,Mr . Bullen has asked

me to write a few words to put in the front o fhis book

,and I obey . If my introduction does

no good,it will at least do no harm

,and I shall at

any rate have the pleasure of being in very goodcompany . H is whales and sharks and othermonsters of the deep are creatures with whomone is proud to be associated .

These Idylls— l ittle p ictures— strike me as someof the most v ivid things ever written about thesea . I take it that only a man who has used thesea as a common sailor

,and before the mast

,really

Idylls of the Sea

knows i t in all its humours,— has heard all those

multitudinous vo ices that echo along the vastwaste spaces o f the deep . The officer is either to obusy with his responsibilities o f command

,or else

is o ff duty and so not at close quarters with thewinds and waves . As a rule the sailor

,- the

man who heaves the lead,stands at the wheel

,

sits in the crow’s nest for long hours together,

and does the more wearisome and leisurely dutieso f the ship

,is not a person o f sufficient imagina

tion and education to record the impressions thatcome to those who do battle with a remote andunhearing Ocean .

” In Mr . Bullen , perhaps fo rthe first time

,we have a man who has been a

fo’c’s’le hand and yet has the power,first to realise

in a l iterary shape,and then to set down

,the

wonders o f the flood . It was a most happy combination that for once the man who saw the trop icdawn from the crow’s nest of a whaler should beable to communicate the full magic o f the scene .

It is not conventionally that I have called Mr .Bullen’s work “ vivid .

” It is of writing such ashis that we can say, and say truly

I wa tch n o longer—I myselfam there .

He transports us to the very place he describesdoes not merely hand us a stereoscop ic glass inwhich to observe a well- defined photograph .

Introduction

One other quality has always struck me in Mr .Bullen ’s work . In spite o f the fact that he knowsso much science

,and makes so keen and con

vincing a use o f this knowledge,there is always an

air o f mystery and enchantment about h is writing .

De ! uincey’s brother told De ! u incey that all

his arguments against the supernatural wereperfectly sound here in England

,but that they

did n o t hold “ to the suth’

ard o f the llflC.’ In

the Southern Seas were st ill to be found realmswhere pure reason was not supreme . But Mr .Bullen ’s experiences and Idylls are to the suth’

ard

o f the line .” He deals as a rule with that regiono f romance, and hence it is , I suppose , that a senseof something strange and fateful

,and so fascinating

,

haunts his pictures of the sea.

But I am doing the readers o f this book a veryill turn in keeping them waiting at the door . Letthem be assured that there is matter well worththeir marking within

,and that if they are capable

o f tak ing pleasure in the sea and its secrets,they

cannot fail of entertainment here .

J. ST . LOE STRACHEY.

CONTENTS

IDYLLS OF THE SEA

1 . THE PA S S ING OF PETERTH E LOS S OF THE FIRST-BORNA TRU E SHARK- STORYTH E S LAVERTHE CRU I SE OF TH E ‘ DA ISY ’

‘ RUNN ING TH E EASTING DOWN ’

IN THE CROW’S NEST .

THE BIRTH OF AN I SLANDA SUBMARINE EARTH ! UAKETHE S I LENT WARFARE OF THE SUBMAR I NE WORLDAN E FFECT OF REFRACTIONA WAKING NIGHTMARETHE D EREL ICT

ST ! DIES IN MARINE NAT ! RAL HISTORY

I4 . SOME OCEANIc B IRD S1 5 . TH E KRAKENI 6 . CONCERNING SHARKSI7. FLY ING-FI SH CATCH ING AT BARBADO S

XVi Idyll s of the Sea

18 . ! NCONVENTIONAL FISH INGI 9 . D EVI L—FISH20 . OF TURTLE

OTHER SKETCHES

‘ HOVELLING ’THE Lo s s OF THE ‘ ST . G EORGE ’THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MERCHANT SERV I CECANCER CAY

A NIN ETEENTH-CENTURY JONAHTH E TRAGICAL TAL E OF TH E BOOME RANG PIGA DAY ON TH E SOLANDER WHALING-G ROUNDS EA-ELEPHANTS AT HOMEAN INTERV IEW! P A WATERSPOUT

IDYLL S O F THE SEA

XV I!

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2 Idylls of the Sea

voices were hushed,and whispered converse

came gently from lips unaccustomed to suchtopics

,upon subj ects exalted and solemn . Even

during the day,while engaged in severe toil— for

o ur careful captain was utilising this unwelcomeopportunity in a general refit— it seemed as if allhands were under a deep impression o f gravity ,as though conscious o f contact with the eternities .But this feeling o f awe

,which was almost in

voluntary worship,gradually gave place as the

days passed in changeless procession to anincreasing sense of indefinite fear . Each manlooked askance at his fellow’s face

,fearfully seeking

sight of that Shadow he felt upon his own . Oneunspoken question trembled o n every lip

,o ne

overmastering idea blended with and tincturedall others . A change

,unusual as unwholesome

,

came over the bright blue o f the sea. No longerdid it reflect

,as in a limpid mirror

,the splendour

of the sun,the sweet S ilvery glow o f the moon

,

or the coruscating clusters of countless stars .Like the ashen—grey hue that bedims the co un ten

ance of the dying,a filmy greasy skin appeared to

overspread the recent loveliness o f the ocean ’ssurface . The sea was sick

,stagnant

,and foul .

From its turbid waters arose a miasmatic vapourlike a breath o f decay

,which clung clammily to

the palate and dulled all the senses . Drawn bysome strange force from the unfathomable depthsbelow

,eerie shapes sought the surface

,blinking

glassily at the unfamiliar glare they had exchanged

The Passing of Peter 3

for their native gloom,—uncouth creatures bedight

with tasselled fringes like weed—growths wavingaround them

,fathom- long medusm with coloured

spots like eyes clustering all over their transparentsubstance

,wriggling worm - like forms o f such

elusive matter that the smallest exposure to thesun melted them

,and they were not . Lower

down,vast pale shadows crept sluggishly along

,

happily undistinguishable as yet, but adding ahalf familiar flavour to the strange

,faint smell

that hung about us . Of the ordinary fish whichattend a vessel under healthful conditions fewwere to be seen . Such stragglers as occasionallycame near were languid and purposeless in theirmovements

,as if infected by the un iversal malaise

that only fostered foul and fermenting growths .The sole exceptions were the Sharks

,who came

and went as stealthily,but as eagerly as ever .

Such a mo rbific,unwholesome condition o f

o ur environment as this utter cessation of therevivifying motion o f the aerial ocean

,with its

beneficen t reaction upon the watery world be

neath,could not fail sooner o r later to affect

the health o f . the crew.“

Doubtless the heavytoil in which all hands were continually engagedduring the day put o f? the coming disaster longerthan would otherwise have been the case . Butthe ship was ill found

,the meat was partially

decayed,and the bread honeycombed by various

vermin . The water alone was comparativelysweet

,although somewhat flavoured with tar, fo r

4, Idyll s of the Sea

we had caught it as it fell from the surchargedskies . There was no change of dietary, no freshprovisions

,except when

,as a great banquet once

in two months,an allowance of soup and bouilli

was served out,which only suggested a change

,

hardly ‘ supplied it . Men grew listless and un

companionable . Each aloof from his fellowstook to hanging moodily over the bulwarks andstaring steadfastly at the unpleasant surface o f theonce beautiful sea . And the livid impalpabilitiesthat

,gigantic and gruesome

,pursued their Shadowy

,

stealthy glidings beneath seemed to be dailygrowing more definite and terr ible . The watchersglared at them until their overburdened imaginationcould support the sight no longer

,and they sought

relief by hoarse cries from the undefinable terror .One by o ne the seamen fell Sick

,apparently

with scurvy,that most loathsome ailment

,that

seems to combine in itself half a dozen otherdiseases and reproduces old and long - forgottenwounds . It was accompanied

,too

,by partial

blindness,as o f moon- stroke

,rendering the

suflérers utterly unable to see anything at night,

even though by day their sight was still fairlygood . Already Short-handed

,this new distress

added greatly to the physical sufferings of thepatient mariners

,who endured with a fortitude

seldom seen among merchant seamen the slowlyaccumulating burden of their sorrows . Thequestioning look before noted as visible in everyman’s eyes now took another meaning . As a


recent and a most powerful wr iter,Joseph Conrad

,

has noticed,

o ne o f the strongest superstitionscurrent among seamen is the notion that such anabnormal condition o f the elements calls fo r ahuman victim . Life must be paid that themaj ority may live . Whose would it be ? Noword was spoken on the subj ect

,but the sequel

showed how deeply seated was the idea .At last from among the brooding men o ne

figure detached itself and became prominent withan unearthly Significance . He was an o ld andfeeble man named Peter Burn

,unfitted in any case

to endure much longer the ord inary stress o f asailor’s l ife . But suddenly his frail ty seemed toobtrude itself persistently upon o ur notice unt il h isworn—o ut frame became almost transparent . Towards the close o f this mor ibund state of theelements Peter’s mind grew retrospective . Hispresent surroundings seemed to fade from hisknowledge

,becom ing

,as far as he was concerned

,

non - existent . Hour after hour he would lieyarn ing incessantly o f bygone exploits in long—forgotten Ships o n many seas . In the long , quietevenings all hands that were able would gatherround with p ipes aglow and listen silently to h isbabbling

,flow ing l ike a placid stream o f sound

,

contrasting curiously with the lurid language inwh ich he rev ived the scenes o f riot

,bloodshed

,and

l icense of h is distant youth . He still rel ished ap ipe

,although he hardly seemed aware whether it

was alight o r not . But there was always some one

6 Idyll s of the Sea

ready to catch it as it fell from his trembl ing jaws,

o r to support it tenderly with one hand while alight was applied with the other . Day by day hisdetachment from present th ings increased . Hel ived only in the m isty past

,his immed iate en

viro nment became a perfect blank , and he calledhis shipmates by strange names . Of any want ofthe consolations of religion he manifested no Sign ,and as there was none to offer them ,

’ the pathos ofthat dreadful indifference passed unnoticed .

At last,one evening

,when a sticky haze rose

sluggishly from the fermenting sea,peopling the

immediate Vicinity of the Ship with fantastic shapes,

Peter raised his vo ice in an astonish ing volume ofsound

,commanding his attendants to carry h im o n

deck . They instantly obeyed . Very tenderly andcautiously they bore him to the to p-gallant forecastle

,whence a clear view cou1d be obtained all

around . Thi o ugh the hedge of m ist the moonwas rising

,a vast blood—red disc

,across the face

o f which passed in weird procession formlessphantoms of indefinite and ever-varying suggestiveness . Overhead

,the lustreless stars looked down

wearily out o f a sky that had paled from its deepazure to a neutral t int of green . From beneath

,

the foul effluvia ascended l ike the air of a charnelhouse . Even the gleaming phosphorescence in thewake of the living things below glared pale andSlow . The heavy silence around was only brokenat long intervals by the melancholy wail of a wearysea- bird that feared to rest on the glairy sea. On


board the voice of our ancient shipmate prattled o nin tones scarcely human and in language un

intelligible to any o f us . AS the moon,rising

clear o f the steaming vapours,resumed her normal

appearance,She Shot a pallid beam across us where

,

like a group o fghosts,we crouched around Peter ’s

prone form . When the cold ray touched h is facei t suddenly changed

,and became beautiful

,but

only for a moment . Then the withered,toothless

jaw dropped , the dim eyeballs settled in theirsockets , and Peter passed from among us . Like avoice from heaven came the command

,breaking

the heavy stillness,Square away the main—yard .

As men in a dream we obeyed . But the sweetbreeze aroused us as it swept away the foetid mistin reluctant rolls and eddies . A j oyful sound likethe musical murmur o f a brooklet arose frombeneath the forefoot as the good ship resumed herlong—hindered journey through the rev iving sea

,

and the long calm was over .Then when sail had been trimmed

,and gear

coi led up again,came the sailmaker softly

,a roll

o fworn canvas under his arm,and h is palm and

needle ready . In ten m inutes a long wh ite bundlewas borne reverently aft and laid o n a hatch

,where

a mass of sandstone was secured to its smaller end .

The Skipper produced a worn Prayer-book,from

which,like o ne determined to do his duty at all

cost,he doggedly read the Order for the Burial o f

the Dead right through . All hands stood roundin the moonl ight w ith bare heads and set faces


until the skipper’s vo ice ceased . Then at a S ignfrom the mate four of us l ifted the hatch to therail

,slowly raised its inner end and held it steadily,

while, with a Slow hiss, its burden sl id into the seaand disappeared beneath a shining column o f

emerald green .

I O Idylls of the Sea

there was no greater depth than six fathoms .The floor of those qu iet quarters was delightfullyjagged

,so that she would be able easily to chafe

o ff every last barnacle and limpet from the lovelyfolds o f her charming breast . As for food

,the

place was alive with tender young squid and sea

slugs,all fat and juicy . And as he spoke he

caressed her lovingly with his fifteen—feet fin thatspread like a wing from the broad expanse o f hisside

,while she gazed up at him affectionately out

of the corner of her tiny eye .When she instinctively expressed her fear of

the ever—vigilant sharks,who love nothing better

than a tender young calf,he comforted her by an

assurance that there was little need to fear themthere . If a stray o ne should come prowl inground she was to attack him at once

,as he would

almost certainly be alone . Then his vo ice took agraver tone as h is wound rem inded him o f thegreatest danger o f all

,and o ne of which she had

no experience . He told her how to some o f thequiet haunts of their people came occasionallywhite things

,with long thin legs

,walking o n to p

o f the water . They were not nearly as big asa whale

,but there seemed to be smaller living

th ings in them that were terrible and dangerous .They bit with long sharp teeth

,they had arms

hundreds of feet long,and they knew no pity

even for languid mother and new—born calf. Theyhad killed vast numbers of the whale- folk

,and

the thought of his escape from them made him

The Loss of the First—Born I I

ache w ith fright,though it was so many years ago .

But,happ ily

,they could not come everywhere

,

and he had chosen this shelter for her because itwas barred against them .

Even as he spoke,the school swept into sight

Of a vast-

barrier o f coral,and

,settling down many

fathoms,they Skirted its base rooted in the eternal

buttresses o f the world . Grand and awful wasthe view

,but they heeded it not

,being on business

bent,with no admiration to waste on the gorgeous

scene o r appreciation of the untellable marvelsof the deep

,—matters o f every day with them .

Presently they rose near enough to the surface tohear the solemn roar o f the league - long lin e ofresistless breakers overhead

,and

,turning with

them,followed their lord and leader into one

of the channels he had spoken of. It wound itstortuous way for a couple of miles through thegreat reef

,the stillness of the placid shallows

strangely disturbed by the thundering return of thedisplaced water as the troop o f leviathans paddledgently through its intricacies . At length theyemerged into a wide lagoon

,bounded o n o ne side

by tower ing masses o f black rock ris ing tier upontier fo r over two thousand feet . In every otherd irection the sea raised a rampart o f dazzl ingfoam

,which seemed never to subside for o ne

moment,or reveal even a remote chance o f entry .

Fo r the next two days they stayed with her,

exploring every corner,

find ing it truly,as the

Master had said,a place o f ten thousand fo r a

1 2 Idyll s of the Sea

refuge from all enemies . At last,when the

patient mother—to—be had settled upon a shadypool beneath a huge overhanging crag as herfavourite spot

,they all bade her farewell

,formed

into line and departed,leaving her to the un

failing ministrations of the good Nurse Nature,

with a promise to return again in about ten days .On the second day of her loneliness a little so n

was born to her,a pretty

,frolicsome creature

about eight feet long,his tender

,shining

,dark skin

elegantly mottled with splashes o f grey,while the

tiny furrows of his belly were white as curd .

And the proud mother lolled in her cool cornerfeeding her babe from her bounteous breast

,

feeling supremely happy . He was a very wellspring o f j oy to her

,every move of his lithe

young body,every pllfi: from his tiny sp iracle ,

giving a new pang o f delight . Nor d id anythingharmful come near . But she never relaxed hervigilant watch ; not the faint splash of a gannetafter a fleeting flying-fish but sent a shudder o fapprehensive energy through her mighty frame .Fo r one blissful week there was perfect peace .

Then came a morning when the glorious blue skygrew grey and greasy

,then black as soot . A

deathlike silence fell . The harmless fish and otherdenizens of the reef crept into crevices o f the coral ,and all the birds fled wailing away . She wasfilled with an undefinable dread ; a loneliness unfeltbefore shrank every fibre with fear . Movinuneasily about the restricted area of her shelter

,

The Loss of the First- Born 1 3

her calf clutched closely under her fin,she saw

spear after spear of crimson flame cleave the Swartheavens

,while immense boulders o f red—hot rock

fell in a hurtling hail around her . A seethingtorrent of molten lava amid a dense fog o f steamfell with a deafening hiss into the sea. Desperatelyshe sought to descend

,but forgetting the bottom so

near,dealt herself a fearful blow . Then in frantic

fear fo r her youngling,she rushed

,holding him

closer to her breast,around the barrier

,seeking

the passage through which they had entered .

Almost exhausted with her exertions,she found it

,

fled along its windings with the rock heaving andgroaning around her

,and at last plunged exultantly

through the bo iling breakers down,down into

peace . But unsatisfied,still she to iled o n to leave

that accursed place far behind,nor rested except

to breathe her offspring until she was a hundredmiles away .

Then,secure from that terror

,she took her

ease,thinking poor mother

,that all danger was

past . But alas for her hopes ! A grim silentshadow shot past as she lay basking on her side

,

her calf laz ily sucking . Startled into suddenactivity

,she sprang forward her full length

,swiftly

sweeping her wide fins back and forth in search ofher infant . Again that dark form flew past herside

,bearing away on the projecting sword from

its head the body o f her first-born writhing insudden death .

A TRUE SHARK STO RY

How very hard it is to provide for a young,fast

growing family nowadays,

” said the mother shark,

turning,for the hundredth time that morning

,upon

her broad side in order to get a better view of whatmight be stirring above . Fo r nearly a week shehad been fasting— in fact ever since she came inhurriedly at the close of a great feast upon thestripped carcase of a recent whale . There

,bydint

of the energy o fher massive shoulders,her fourteen

feet o f length,and fivefold rows of triangular teeth

,

she had managed to secure a respectable proportiono f the spoil for the replenishing o f her own hugemaw as well as for the upkeep of the fourteensharklings that were now restlessly darting in ando ut o f their cosy cave at the far end o f hercapacious throat .Within the immediate range o f her glance a

vast black shadow obscured a wide,irregularly

shaped area of the blazing sunshine . It was so

calm that the shadow seemed stationary . In thedirection of this cool penumbra her gaze lingered

A True Shark—Story 1 5

earnestly . For hereditary instinct as well as longexperience gave her the knowledge that from thesubstance of such shadows came food droppingdown

,varied and toothsome

,actually alive upon

rare occasions . Somewhat impatiently she wonderedat the long time that her little blue and goldattendant had been gone . He was so seldomabsent from his place between her eyes for a wholeminute that she got quite uneasy . But while shefidgeted fretfully , with many twitchings of herflexible gaff topsail back came the pilot—fish ina tear ing hurry . Now then

,partner

,move

along,do . There’s a lump of fat pork almost as

big as your head hanging over that ship ’s stern . Idon ’t qu ite understand why it doesn ’t s ink

,but it

is good . I nibbled just a crumb,and you can be

sure this time that it’s no bagful o f Cinders likethat nasty mouthful that gave you the chest- acheso bad this morning . The latter part of th isenergetic exordium was lost upon Mother Shark

,

being drowned in the wash set up by her greattail—fin ,

which was go ing in grand style,starting

her o ff at such a rate that two o r three stragglerso f the family had “

to skip like shrimps to getindoors before they were left behind and lost .Straight as an arrow to the mark went the tiny

guide,keeping just in front o f h is huge friend’s

snout . Together they swept into the shadow,

where,sure enough

,a mass o f meat hung just

below the sea surface,though gently lifted almost

o ut o f water every now and then .

“ Oh,do

I 6 Idyll s of the Sea

look,Mamma there

’

s a big fish . Is he going toeat up that pretty little one

,do you think ?

Oh,no

,my little man

,

” struck in the mate,but

you watch him now .

” As he spoke the great greybody took a curve laterally

,a dazzling glare ofwhite

appeared,and there

,beneath the speaker

,was a

crescentic gap in the smooth,l ivid underside

,

fr inged with innumerable points like chevaux-a’

e

frise, and as b ig as the gape of a coal - sack .

Around it the small pilot circled excitedly at topspeed . Slowly it rose beneath the bait

,which the

mate as gently slacked away,there was a gulp

,and

the big j o int disappeared . There was a flash,a

splash,and an eddy . Then the rope attached to

the shark—hook concealed in that pork groanedover the rail as it felt the strain .

Lay aft the watch ,” roared the mate

,and

amid the trampl ing o fmany feet,a babel o f direc

tions,and a tremendous tumult alongside

,through

the writhings o f the captive monster,she was

transferred forward to the lee gangway,where

,by

the aid o f a stout watch—tackle,she was hoisted out

o fwater .“ Don’t take him aboard

,cried the captain ;

make such an infernal mess if you do . Justspritsle yard him

’

n let him go agen .

”So a piece

of scantling was got from the carpenter,pointed at

both ends,about four feet long . This they drove

through her j aws from side to side . Another wedgeshaped piece was planted diagonally down throughher broad snout

,the upper end pointing forrard .

THE SLAVER

RA s NUNGWE stood o ut boldly against the deepazure of the midnight sky,

fi its rugged outlinessoftened and etherealised by the flood o f moltenlight flowing from the rising moon . Within thevelvety shadow which extended far to the northwestward from that bold headland lay o ur brig , alonely

,almost pathetic object

,with sails all vertical

in the utter calm,and taut as boards with the

drenching dew . The royals,peering above the

enwrapping dark,gleamed silvery-white where the

unintercepted moon—rays touched them,crowning

the homely craft with a radiant halo o f silversheen . I stood alone in the silent gloom of thedeck completely absorbed in the solemn beauty ofthe scene

,and utterly unmindful for the present of

the severe stress o f our en compassing emergencies .After the fierce heat of the glowing day thecaressing coolness o f the hour was a pure delight ,for

,although not a breath lifted the down fringing

the dog-vane suspended j ust above my head,there

was a freshness in the atmosphere wh ich belied the

The Slaver I 9

thermometer . A sound rippled along through thequiet

,sending a responsive thrill over my scalp

,as

o f an attuned n erve . Mellow and sustained , theclear call o f the Muezzin from the minaret inZanzibar Town had travelled this great distance

,

bearing“ its tremendous challenge,

“ Allah hoAkbar ! Dropp ing all consonants o n its way

,

only the open vowels persisted but even so,none

could m istake the words . Obedient even in sleepto the call o f his faith

,Sa’adi

, o ur Suahil i steward ,turned upon h is mat near the mainmast

,and rising

to his feet,w ith hands outstretched before him

,

began in low gutturals the 'majestic ritual of theMussulmani

,Bismillahi

’

Rahmann i’

Raheem .

Meanwhile,the swell ing tide o f moonl ight

had invaded the sombre area wherein we layuntil the whole o f the Vessel was sh in ing inpurest light . Every rope , spar , and sail, shimmering in that wonderful luminosity

,looked unearthly

,

a phantom that the return ing sun would dissipatewith h is workaday beams . Here and there onthe deck

,wherever a little Shelter could be found

from the soaking dew,lay figures in many an

uneasy attitude,brokenly slumbering and mutter

ing through the helpless delirium o f fever ; fo rall hands save the second mate

,myself

,two

Malagasy,and two Arabs

,were desperately sick .

The poisonous malaria which crawls stealthily tothe Zanzibar anchorage out o f the foulness of thatmost filthy town

,aided by the treacherous ex

halations from the soil everywhere,had stricken


them down,and their only hope of recovery

seemed to lie in escape from that dangerousvicinity . Therefore

,but principally because o f

o ur affection for our suffering skipper , withhis wife and child all tossing in delirium

,we

had dared to get under weigh and proceed to sea

in such a plight . But now,relieved by my

careful brother officer,I went below

,knowing

from painful experience that,stifl ing as the air

might be down in my berth,it was far safer than

o n deck .

I awoke streaming as if in the sudatorium o f

a Hammam,and after a careful rub down and

complete change o f rig,returned o n deck to

relieve my faithful partner . A small air fromthe African land was just lifting the lighter sails

,

and making a pleasant little r ipple warble alongs ide . One o f the Malagasy

,a docile Betsimasaraka

,

came to the wheel,necessitating a careful watch

over his well—meant but generally misdirectedefforts o n my part

,since the duty was as yet

strange to him . Still,I had leisure to take my

fill of admiring wonder at the completely changedscene . We now sailed o n a sea o f silver

,the

moon being almost vertical . Out o f that radiantlevel rose the dark battlements o f the great island

,

its clear - cut outlines in sharp contrast to thepellucid sky . Far ahead loomed the misty masso f Pemba

,and o n the left a long

,low streak o f

gloom,li t up here and there by gleaming stretches

o f shining sand,showed the proximity of Africa

,

The Slaver 2 I

ancient land o f mystery . A subdued murmur ,l ike that of a shell

,but with an occasional swell

therein,was rather suggested than heard

,so

unceas ing was its deep monotone,the unresting

roll o f the Ind ian Ocean upon those lonely shores .At no “ great distance from us a snowy featheroccasionally showed itself where the slumberingsea was momentarily ruffled in its regular rollby an outlying spur o f coral close to the surface .In striking contrast to those bright gleams the

black blotch made by some toil ing fisherman’

s

small canoe showed up against the bright waterslike a patch o f rock . Presently

,o ut of the misty

environs of a small island to leeward,came the faint

but unmistakable sound of oars strenuously worked .

The night-glasses revealed the sinister shape o f adhow head ing towards us

,a foam—wreath sparkl ing

at her bows as if she was going at a great rate .“ More slaves

,I thought b itterly

,for night

navigation is not favoured by Arabs except uponexcursions that do not bear the light well .Ferven tly I hoped that some of my countrymenwere lying h idden near enough to stop thoseincarnate devils o n their infernal errand . Forgetting all else

,I strained my eyes through the glasses

at the swiftly approaching dhow . The course hewas making would bring him closely past us

,and

eventually land him at the extreme northern endof Zanzibar Island .

Hoping against hope,I swept the horizon

earnestly with the glasses,my gaze l ingering for

22 Idyl ls of the Sea

long in the direction where lay the guardship withfive hundred eager fellows o n board ready to takeany risk to stop such a villainous craft as was nowbefouling the seascape

,did they but know of her

presence . I had nearly given up all hope,when to

my intense delight I saw com ing in our directionfrom Pemba a t iny cloud of black smoke . Hardlyknowing how to contain myself

,I rushed below

,

found a rocket,and leaning it against the rail

,

touched it o ff. With a h iss l ike a bursting steampipe it soared aloft

,scaring my poor Malagasy

helmsman almost into a fit,and bursting at a

splendid height into five blazing stars , an imperativecall to any cruising naval launch near . The flyingSlaver never swerved or halted . On the contrary

,

she was evidently adding to her speed . But to mysatisfaction the small black thread of smoke aheadnow showed a lurid glow runn ing through it .Doubtless they had grasped the intention o f mysignal

,and were making their little craft do her best

to obey it . Within a cable ’s length the dhow passedo ur stern

,her straining crew yell ing curses at us in

mellifluo us Suahili . Pitiful , indeed , would have beenour case could those merciless flesh-hunters thenhave had their will of us . But with double-bankedsweeps they strove to gain the shore

,scenting the

pursuers they could not see . Nearer drew thetrail ing smoke - wreath

,until beneath it I could

discern the slender shape of a steam- launch . Andthen I rej oiced to see her change her course so as tocut o ff the dhow ere she could reach the obj ective

The Slaver 2 3

her crew were straining every sinew to attain .

Breathlessly I watched the manoeuvre , disregardingthe unwelcome failure of the gentle breeze thatagain left us motionless . At last there was a flashfrom the launch ’s bow,

followed by a sullen boom,

the sweetest sound imaginable to my hungry ears .Another flash

,and then the bright foam faded from

the dhow’s sides,showing that they had ceased

their efforts to escape . A short silence ensued ,followed by a faint rattle o f small- arm fire .

Although the grey light of dawn was nowdisplacing the almost blue- black o f the night sky

,

the two craft were so far away that I could notsee how my brethren were faring , but almost unconsciously I breathed a prayer for their success .Then

,in gorgeous array o f green and purple and

gold,conquering daylight rushed across the sky,

paling the bright moon and quenching the sweetstars in the ineffable glory o f a n ew morn . Allthe beauties o f the adj acent shores sprang intosight

,completing the splendid p icture . But

,best

of all,over that devilish dhow now floated the

white—and- red folds of St . G eorge’s Cross,whose

appearance anywhere always gives an Englishmanan accelerated heart—beat . How much more

,then

,

when it is seen sheltering those who were lost,

helpless,and hopeless slaves . Before long the

dhow was taken in tow by the launch , whichheaded towards us . I ran up the o ld RedEnsign

,

dipping it gaily in salute to the victors in so noblea cause . As she passed close under o ur stern the

24. Idyll s of the Sea

officer in charge,waving his cap

,shouted Many

thanks,sir

,fo r your signal . We should certainly

have missed the prize without it . She has onehundred and fifteen slaves on board

,all ages and

both sexes,packed like sardines in a tin . It is

a splendid haul . Good—bye,

sir,and a most

pleasant passage to you .

” I would have answeredhim in many words

,but something choked my

utterance,and I could only wave my hand in

hearty farewell . I could n o t help a feeling o f

satisfaction as I noticed several pron e figures o n

the dhow’s deck with crimson stains o n theirdingy white garments . There are times whenthe Mosaic law seems to all o f us the onlysatisfying adjustment o f rewards .Of the long days that followed before we

finally cleared those sultry shores,days of anxiety

and nights o f constant care,much could be told

did space permit . One by one the haggard,quinine

saturated inval ids resumed their watch,wistfully

seeking to help,but so weak that their faltering

steps failed them oftentimes . But gradually theygathered strength

,until by the time that Zanzibar

had faded below the blue horiz on every onemustered at watch—changing

,and o ur little

company remained complete .


forming wh ich would effectually bar all navigationuntil the ensuing spring

,and the thought of being

thus frozen up in helpless idleness for months,

coupled with the prospect of winter fo r my youngw ife in England without my support

,was almost

more than I could bear . K ismet threw in myway the commander

,owner

,and builder of a tiny

schooner,who

,disgusted with his “ bad luck

,

had freighted his cockleshell with the harvestof h is farm

,three hundred barrels of potatoes

,

and purposed sailing for the West Ind ies in orderto sell vessel and cargo . Of ocean navigation heknew nothing

,all his previous nautical experience

having been confined to the rugged coasts of NovaScotia

,so that he was highly elated at the idea of

engaging a mate with a London certificate . Notthat he would have hesitated to launch o ut intothe Atlanti c without any other knowledge thanhe possessed

,without chronometer

,sextant

,o r

ephemeris . Like many of the o ld school of seafarers

,now perhaps quite extinct

,he would have

reckoned upon finding his way to port in time byasking from ship to ship Sighted o n the passage

,

for he was in no hurry . I was in no mood forbargain ing— a way of escape was my urgent needand in a few hours from our meeting we werebusily rowing the wee craft down the fast- emptyingriver The crew consisted of the skipper

,his ten

year—old so n,myself

,and a gawky

,half—witted lad

of s ixteen,who strutted under the title of cook .

Bitter,grinding poverty was manifest in every

The Cru ise of the ‘ Daisy ’

27

detail of our equipment,pr in cipally in the pro

visions,which consisted solely of a barrel o f flour

,

a small tub of evi l- smell ing meat (source unknown) ,and a keg of salt flavoured with a few herrings .Of course

,there was the cargo

,and the skipper

concealed , moreover, under his p illow a few ounceso f tea

,about 3 l b . o fwet sugar in an oozing bag

,

and a bottle o f “ square ” gin .

“ Medical comforts

,

” he explained,with an air o f knowing what

ought to be carried on a deep-water voyage .For the first five hundred miles we groped o ur

way through fantastic wreaths o f frost—fog,its

dense whiteness enclosing us like a wall,and its

pitiless embrace threatening to freeze the creep ingblood in o ur veins

,while

,invisible

,the angry

currents of the fiercest tideway in the worldbubbled beneath us like a witch’s cauldron

,whose

steam was fluid ice,after whirl ing us top—wise in

defiance o fwind and helm . Strange no ises assailedo ur ears

,and a feeling of uncertain suspension as

though sailing in the clouds possessed our benumbed faculties . But as if guided by an instin ctive sense o f direction

,the skipper succeeded in

fetching the New Brunswick shore,entering

Musquash Harbour without hesitation,and anchor

ing a scant bowshot from the frozen strand .

"Wasting no time,very precious now

,we landed

,

restoring o ur feeble circulation by felling a largenumber o f beautiful young s ilver birches

,which

,

like regular ranks o f glittering ghosts , stoodthickly everywhere . Our sea- stock of fuel

28 Idylls of the Sea

provided,we broke up the armour-plated covering

of ice over a swiftly—flowing streamlet and filledour sol itary water- cask , an irksome task , since thewater froze as we poured . With enormousdifficulty we shipped these essentials

,and in all

haste weighed again,and stole seaward into the

gathering gloom . Night brought a bitter gale,

whose direction barely enabled us to creep undera tiny triangle o f canvas towards the narrowportals of the Bay o f Fundy . The flying sprayclung to masts and rigging

,clothing them with

many layers of ice,till each slender spar and rope

gleamed huge above our heads through thepalpable dark . The scanty l imits of the deckbecame undistinguishable from the levels o f an iceberg

,to which offspring o f the sombre North o ur

li ttle craft was rapidly becoming akin . Below,in

the stuffy , square den , the cook continually fedthe ancient stove with crackling birchwood andmade successive kettlesful o f boiling burnt-breadcoffee

,while the half- frozen skipper and his mate

relieved each other every half—hour for a briefthaw . In such wise we reached a sheltered nookbehind Cape Sable

,anchoring in a culminating

bl izzard of snow,and fleeing instantly to the

steaming shelter below . Outside our frail shellthe tempest howled unceasingly throughout thelong

,long night . When the bleak morning broke

the little ship was perched precariously,like some

crippled sea—bird,upon three pinnacles o f rock .

The sea had retreated from us for nearly a mile,

The Cru i se of the ‘ Daisy ’

29

and all the gr im secrets o f its iron bed lay revealedunder the cold

,grey dawn . Overhead hung

gigantic ic icles like sheaves o f spears from themassive wh ite pillars that concealed our identitywith man’s hand iwork

,and at imminent risk we

must needs break them down in order to move thevessel when the inrushing flood should again set

her free . Presently it came,a roaring yellow mass

o f broken water,laden with all the varied débris

of that awful coast . But we were ready for it,and

by strenuous toil managed to get into a safeanchorage .Seven short days and long ghastly nights we lay

there waiting a chance to escape . Christmas cameand went

,bringing with it bitter thoughts of home

,

but no word was spoken o n the subj ect . Theskipper’s little so n lay feverishly tossing in thedel irium of measles

,h is father’s face an im

penetrable mask,but whether o f sto icism or

stolid ity I could n o t tell . At last the windsoftened

,changed its direction

,and breaking up

the gloomy pall o f cloud,allowed a few pale gleams

o f sun to peep through,welcome as Sight to the

blind . Scrambling ashore,we cut down a wide

spreading young spruce- tree,and after a struggle

o f two hours succeeded in getting it on board withall its matted branches intact . Then

,tearing o ut

the anchor in a fury of energy and desire to begone

,we stood to the southward with our strange

deck ! load . A few short hours , and what a changeAs if under the breath of some kindly angel

,the

3 0 Idylls of the Sea

i ce and snow melted from around us,the pleasant

thrill o f expanding life returned . It was no newmiracle

,only the sweet influence of that mild but

mighty ocean river,the Gulf Stream

,into whose

beneficen t bosom we had crept like a strayed andperishing ch ild . How we revelled in the genialwarmth . With what delight we bathed o ur stiffenedlimbs in those tepid waters

,feeling life and comfort

surge back to us as if from their very source .Just a little while for recovery

,and then round

swung the wind again . The dismal curtains o f theskywere drawn , and the melancholy monotone o f

the advancing storm wailed through o ur scantyrigging . Right across the path of the great streamit blew

,catching the waves in their “stately march

,

and tearing their crests furiously backward .

Fiercer and louder howled the gale,while the

bewildered sea,irresistibly borne north- eastward by

the current and scourged southward by the everincreasing s torm

,rose in pyramidal heaps which

fell all ways,only their blinding spray flying

steadfastly to leeward . In that welter o f co nflict

ing elements,whence even the birds had fled

,we

were tossed like any other bubble o f the myriadsbursting around . Sail was useless to steady her ,for the towering billows becalmed it neither daredwe risk o ur only canvas blowing away . So whenit appeared that there was a little more truth in thetrend of the sea

,we moored the cable to the trunk

o f o ur tree and cast it overboard . And to thatstrangely transformed plant we rode as to afloating

The Cruise of the Dai sy ’

3 1

anchor,held up head to sea

,save when the

persistent swell rose astern in a knoll of advancingwater and hurled us three hundred fathoms forwardin a breath . Nine weary watches o ffour hours eachdid I stand by the useless wheel

,breathlessly eyeing

the tigerish leap of each monstrous wave until itswept by leaving us still alive . Yet while theskipper stood his watch I slept

,serenely oblivious

o f the fearful strife without . So bravely,loyally

did the little Daisy behave that hope rosesteadily

,until just as the parting clouds permitted

a ray o f moonlight to irradiate the tormented sea,

there was a sudden change in her motion . As ifworn o ut by the unequal strife

,she fell o ff into the

sea- trough,a mountain of black water towered

above her,and in o ne unbearable uproar she

disappeared . Blinded and battered o ut o f all sense,I knew no more until I found myself clinging tothe wheel with a grip that left indented bruises allover my arms . She had survived

,and

,as if in

admiration for her valiant fight,the sea fell and left

her safe . The tree - trunk had been sawn rightthrough

,but its work was done .

Beneath.

pleasant skies we plodded southward too ur destined port

,arriving uneventfully at Antigua

after a passage o f thirty-five days .

‘ RUNNING THE EASTING DOWN ’

DE SPITE the inroads made upon sail by steam ,

a goodly fleet of sailing ships still survive,many

o f them magn ificent specimens n o t only of marinearchitecture

,but also o f the cunning handiwork

of the modern rigger .” The enormous sail- areashown by some o f these ships and the immensespread of their yards would have staggered thedaring skippers of forty years ago

,when the

China tea - clippers were the greyhounds o f theseas

,and the Yankee flyers were wiping the eyes

o f their sturdy British compeers . But in orderto see these majestic vessels at their best it isnecessary to be on board o ne of them o n a voyageto o r from the Far East . Their troubles areoften many and their hindrances great until theyreach those Southern parallels where

,after a spell

o f doldrums varying with the season , they p ickup those brave west winds that

,unhindered

,sweep

in almost constant procession around the landlessSouthern Slopes of the world . This is no placefor weakl ings either among sh ips or men . If a

34. Idylls of the Sea

aided by a complicated web of tackles . Andthe sa ils

,those vast breadths o f canvas that

,when

set,made the m ighty hull appear but a trivial thing

beneath their superb spread,were of the heaviest

quality woven,their seams

,leaches

,and roaches

fortified by all the devices known to the sailmaker .The skipper paced the poop with uncertain

steps,hardly able to conceal his impatience at the

dallying o f the light airs that only made thegreat squares of canvas slam sullenly against themasts

,and wear themselves thin . Longingly his

eyes lingered o n the western horizon,hungering

for Sign of the “Westerlies . His eager gazewas at last rewarded by the vision o f a sombrearch of lowering cloud

,which slowly upreared its

grim segment above the setting sun . The fitfulsouth- easterly airs

,dregs of the “ Trades

,which

in their feeble variableness had so sorely tried hispatience

,gradually sank like the last few breaths

o f some expiring monster,leaving the sea glassy

and restful under the dark violet o f the even ingsky. Only a long

,regular swell came rolling

eastward in rhythmical march,its placid undula

tions swaying the huge vessel gently as thedrowsy rocking o f an infant’s cradle . But itsindications were sufficiently precise to satisfy theskipper

,who

,after a peaceful pipe

,retired early

to rest,leaving orders to call him in the event

o f any sudden change . His manner,however

,

indicated that he expected noth ing o f the kind .

After his departure the chief officer prowled

Running the Easting Down 3 5

restlessly about the quarterdeck , being a manto whom the stagnation o f a calm was anunm itigated calamity . At present his only satisfaction lay in noting how steadily the celestialbridge astern grew in breadth and altitude

,while

at the same time the swell became deeper,longer

,

and more definite in its direction .

By four bells the summits of the climb ingcumul i forming the immeasurable arch in thewest were right overhead

,while the sky w ithin

its radius was now overspread with a filmy veilthat hid the stars from view . Suddenly a chillbreath touched h is ear

,sensitive as a hound ’s

,

and immed iately his fretful lassitude was gone .He stood erect

,alert

,every nerve tense

,ready

for action .

“ Stand by,the watch ! ” he roared

,

and in response a few dark figures slouched intosight from the shadowy corners where they hadbeen dozing away the leaden—footed hours . Thena cool stream o f air came steadily flowing from themysterious centre o f the gloom abaft . Squarethe main-yard ! ” shouted the mate again ; andwith eerie

,wailing cr ies the great steel tubes were

trimmed to the coming breeze . The order washardly executed before

,with a rush and a scream

,

o ut leapt the west wind from its lair,while with

many a sharp report and grinding o f gear beingdrawn into its grooves the huge fabric obeyed thecompell ing impulse and began her three thousandleague stretch to t he eastward . By midnight itblew a gale

,to which the same vessel

,had she


been bound in the opposite direction,must needs

have shown but a scanty spread of sail . Now,

nothing was further from the intention of thegleeful mate than the starting of a single thread .

At the relieving o f the watch the skipper wascalled and informed of the change

,so that upon

him should rest the responsibility for “ carryingo n .

” For the driving fragments o f storm - rentcloud were low

,and by their meteor speed foretold

that this was but a foretaste o f the tempest tofollow . Planting himself in his favourite attitudeo n the extreme weather-quarter

,the captain fixed

his eyes on the upper sails with a look of supremecontent

,though to an inexperienced gaze they

would have seemed o n the point of bursting intoshreds

,their very stitch—holes strained to gaping a

quarter—inch long . Every o ne o f her thirty- fourwings were spread and drawing

,for the wind being

well o n the quarter,allowed o f the yards being

canted forward,while the ship went “ steady as a

church,with a ten—degree list to port . Still the

wind increased and faster drove the ship,until by

daylight she was going a full sixteen knots,which

,in

spite o f the Yankee yarns anent the 7ames Baiaesher main skysail

,and her twenty—one knots

,is

about the maximum po ssible under sail . The firstcheerless gleams of the new day revealed an aweinspiring view. Far as could be seen the oceansurface was torn into snowy foam by the ragingwind

,for the sea had not yet time to get into the

gigantic stride it would presently take in sympathy

Running the Easting Down 37

with the irresistible march o f the all- compellingstorm . Fine breeze

,sir

,chuckled the mate

,

rubbing his hands with delight . Only hope it’llhold

,

” replied the skipper,peering keenly aft into

the eye o f the wind . There,to a landsman

,the

sight was ominous,almost appalling . Dense masses

o f distorted nimbus came hurtling o ut o f the deepgloom

,which seemed to grow blacker and more

menacing every hour . So through the howlingday the big ship fled onward like a frightened thing

,

steady and straight as an ice -yacht over LakeMichigan

,although at times an incipient sea smote

her broadside,and

,baffied

,cast its crest aloft

,where

the shrieking blast caught it and whirled it inneedle- like particles as high as the upper topsails .When night drew in the seahad fairly risen

,and

came bellowing along in mountainous masses manymiles in length at a speed that bade fair to overtake the fleeing ship . Strange it was to note how ,

as the waves grew,the ship seemed to dwindle

until her huge bulk appeared quite insignificant .And now

,at frequent intervals

,enormous bodies

o fbroken water hurled themselves o n board,often

filling the spacious decks flush fore and aft with aseething flood . And still the “ old man hungon

,his courage and faith in the powers o f his ship

being justly rewarded by a week’s run o f over twothousand miles without the loss o f a rope-yarn .

Then the breeze gradually faltered,swerved from

its steadfast direction,and worked round by the

south,until at south-east it dropped lifeless for an

3 8 Idyl ls o f the Sea

hour o r so Then out from the north - east itrushed like a raving genie

,almost catching the ship

aback,and giving the scanty band o f to ilers a

tremendous task to handle the immense squaresof canvas that thundered like infuriate monstersagainst their restraining bonds . But in a shorttime the gale had veered round into the westwardagain

,and the Coryplzaena resumed her headlong

race to the east . Running upon the arc o f a greatcircle

,she gradually worsened the weather as she

reached higher latitudes . Stinging snow squallscame yelling after her

,hiding everything behind

a bitter veil . Past gigantic table- topped icebergs,

floating mountains against whose gaunt sides theawful billows broke with deafening clangour

,

fl inging their hissing fragments hundreds o f feetinto the gloomy Sky . At last so fierce grew thefollowing storm that the task o f reducing sailbecame absolutely necessary . All hands were calledand sped aloft to the unequal conflict . Scourgedby the merciless blast

,battered by the threshing

sails,they strove for dear life through two terrible

hours of that stern night . A feeble cry was heard,

— a faint splash . Only a man dropped from themain top—gallant yard

,—through o ne hundred and

twenty feet o f darkness into the yeasty smotherbeneath

,and ere the news reached the deck

,calm

and peaceful below the tumult,more than a mile

astern,swallowed by the ever-un satisfied maw o f

the ravening sea. And onward like a meteor spedthe flying ship

,running her Easting down .

”

I N THE CR OW ’S NE ST

SWI NG IN G through the clear sky, one hundredfeet above the l ittle stretch of wh ite deck thatlooks so strangely n arrow and circumscr ibed

,the

period of two hours assigned fo r a spell is Oftenspent in strange med itations . Fo r all the c ircumstances are favourable to absolute detachment fromordinary affairs . A man feels there cut o ff fromthe world

,a temporary v is itor to a higher sphere

,

from whose serene altitude the petty environmentof daily l ife appears separated by a vast gulf.Rising to that calm plane in the shimmeringpearly twilight of a trop ical dawn

,he is enabled

to view,as from no other standpoint

,the daily

mystery and miracle of the sunrise . For heforgets the tiny m icrocosm below

,involuntarily

looking upward into the infinite azure until hismind becomes consciously akin to eternal verities

,

and sheds fo r a brief space the gross hamperingso f fleshly needs and longings . At such a time ,especially if the heavens be one stainless concaveo f blue , the advent of the new day is so over

Idyll s of the Sea

whelming in Its glory that the sOul is flooded witha sense o f celestial beauty unutterable . Beautifuland glorious indeed are the changing tints andvarying hues o f early dawn upon the fleecy fieldso f cloud

,but the very changeableness of the

wondrous scene is unfavourable to the simplesettlement o f wondering , worshipping thoughtinduced by the birth of unclouded light . At firstthere appears upon the eastern edge o f the vast

,

sharply—defined circle o f the horizon,that by a

familiar optical illusion seems to bound a sapphireconcavity o f which the spectator is the centre

,a

tremulous,silky paling of the tender blue belong

ing to the tropical night . The glowing starsgrow fainter

,dimmer

,ceasing to coruscate like

celestial j ewels studding the soft,dark canopy o f

the sky. Unl ingering,the palp itating ‘ sheen

spreads zenithwards,presently sending before it

as heralds wide bars o f rad iance tinted withblends o f colour not to be reproduced by theutmost skill of the painter. Before their tr iumphaladvent the great cone o f the zodiacal l ight

,which

,

like a stupendous obelisk rising from the mereshadow o f some ineffable central glow

,to which

the gigantic sun itself is but a pale star,has

dominated the moon less hours,fades and vanishes .

Far reaching , these heavenly messengers gild thewestern horizon

,but when the eye returns to

their source it has become a sea of glass mingledwith fire

,

”— a fire wh ich consumes not,and

,

while glowing with unfathomable splendour,has


succession more and more appear,until a fairy

fleet o f hundreds is sail ing as if bearing Titaniaand her train to some enchanted isles

,where never

wind blows loudly . But lo as if at a signal froma pigmy Admiral

,the squadron has van ished

bubble—wise . From where they lately rode inmimic pageant rises

,ghost—like

,a vast flock o f

flying—fish , the hum o f whose V ibrant wing—finsascends to the ear . Many thousands in number,glistening in the sunblaz e like burn ished silverthey glide through the air with incred ible speed

,

the whole Shoal r ising and falling in wave- l ikeundulations as if in the performance o f preco n

certed evolutions . They have been flying upona plane o f perhaps twenty feet above the sea forsome five hundred yards

,and are just about to

re—enter the water,when beneath them appear the

iridescent beauties o f a school o f dolph in (not thedull- hued mammal

,but the poet—beloved fish) .

At that dread sight the sol id phalanx breaks up,

hurled back upon itself in the d isorder of deadlypanic . In little groups

,in single fugitives

,they

scatter to every point o f the compass,a hopelessly

disorganised mob,whereof the weaker fall to swift

oblivion in the gaping jaws o f their brilliant,

vigorous foes beneath . The main bodysheer o ff,sadly th inned

,in a fresh direction

,long quivering

raiders launch ing themselves in hot pursuit upontheir rear

,devouring as they rush

,until eaters and

eaten disappear,and the battlefield lies in - placid

beauty as if never disturbed . One hovering bird,

In the Crow’s Nest 4 3

a “ bo’sun,with long slender tail and feathers o f

purest white,circles around o n unmoving

,out

spread p in ions,slowly turning his pretty head

,with

dark incurious eyes,upon the strange biped so

awkwardly perched In his dominions o f upper air .Whence and when d id he come ? A momentsince and he was n o t. D id the vacant ether produce him ? Yet another moment and he is goneas he came

,leaving behind h im a palpable sense

o f loss .But now all attention is concentrated upon the

horizon,where the trained eye has caught a glimpse

of something of greater interest than either birdor fish . A series o f tiny puffs

,apparently o f

steam,rises from the shining surface

,but so evan

escent that nothing but long-practised Vision wouldd iscern them at so great a d istance . Irregularly

,

both as to time and position,they appear , a

Shadowy procession o f faintest indefinite outlines,

a band o f brief shadows . Yet ! pon them eagereyes are bent in keenest attention

,for they repre

sent possibil ities o f substantial gain,and bring the

mind back from the realms o f pure romance withthe swiftness of a d iving sea—bird down to thehard necessities o f everyday life . They are thebreathings o fmarine mammalia

,mightiest o focean ’s

c itizens,and strangest o f links between the inhabit

ants o f land and sea. A little keen scrutiny ,however

,reveals the disappointing fact that those

feathery phantoms mark the presence o f thatspecial species o f whales who enj oy complete

Idyll s of the Sea

immunity from attack either from above o r below .

Their marvellous ag ility,no less than the exiguous

covering of fat to which they have reduced theusually massive blubber borne by their congeners

,

g ives abundant reason why they should be thusunmolested . So they roam the teeming seas inthe enviable

,as well as almost unique

,pos ition

among the marine fauna of exemption from death,

except by s ickness o r o ld age,as much as any

sedate,law—ab id ing citizen o f London . They

seem to be well aware o f their privileges,for they

draw near the ship with perfect confidence,heeding

her huge Shadow no more than if she were amass of rock rising Sheer from the ocean—bed

,and

incapable o f harm to any o f the sea- folk . Fromo ur lofty eyrie we watch with keenest interest theantics o f these great creatures

,their amatory

gambols,parental care

,elegant ease

,and keen

sportiveness . Yonder p iebald monster,who seems

the patriarch o f the school,after basking placidly

in the scorching rays o f the sun,n ow high in

the heavens,gravely turns a semi somersault

,

elevating the rear half o f his body (some fortyfeet o r so ) o ut o f the water . Then with steady

,

tremendous strokes he beats the water,the hundred

square feet of his tail falling flatly with a reverberation like the sound o f a distant bombardment .The others leap o ut o fwater

,sedately as becomes

their bulk,o r roll over and over each other upon

the surface , occasionally settling down until theylook like fish o f a foot or so in length . Thev

In the Crow’s Nest

even dare to chafe their barnacle- studded sidesagainst the vessel’s keel

,sending a strange tremor

through her from stem to stern,which is even felt

in the “ crow’s nest .” But no one molests themin any way ; in fact , it must be placed to thewhaler ’s credit that he rarely takes life for sport,”though callous as iron where profit o f any kindmay be secured .

Oh,the heat ; as if one’s head were a focus

for the sun himself,since there is little else for

many leagues exposed for him to assail except themirror- like ocean . Thence , too , the heat risesas if to place us between two fires , until we feellike the fakirs o f India undergoing their selfimposed penance o f the swing . How ferventlythankful we are when at last the glorious o rb

descends so low that his slanting rays lose theirpower in great measure

,and permit us again to

take a reviving interest in our surroundings .Yo n floating tree

,for instance ; we have long

been wondering in a vague sort o f dream what itmight be . And indeed its appearance is strangeenough to warrant considerable speculation . Ithas been adrift fo r months , and except upon theSide which floats uppermost

,is covered with bar

nacles, whose adhering feet have extended in someinstances to a fathom in length , the tiny shellsbeing almost invis ible at the free ends . Thiswealth o f living covering , waving gently as thelog is rocked by the unseen swell , gives the wholething an uncanny look

,as o f some strange un

4 6 Idylls o f the Sea

classified monster “ begotten o f the elder slime .Around it are playing in shoals fish of many kindsseen only in deep waters— fish of every luminoustint that can be imagined

,and ranging in size

from the lordly albacore,weighing a quarter of a

ton,to the tiny caranx of a couple o f inches long .

But hush there is a priceless freshness in the air .The weary day is Shaking o ff the fervent embraceo f her exhaustless bridegroom . Gentle

,lovely

shades of colour are replacing the intense glow.

A little,little breeze creeps cautiously along

,

ruflIing the grateful sea in patches of purpleshadow . A more subdued glory gathers in thewest than heralded the sun ’s ascending— a tendererrange of tints

,like the afterglow o f autumn as

compared with the flaming blossoms of spring .

For a few brief moments the gorgeous goldendisc swims upon the edge o f the lambent sea, andhe is gone . Swiftly following him

,the brilliant

hues fade from the sky, shyly the stars peep o ut,

and it is night .

THE B I RTH OF AN I SLAND

FOR many years Pacific mariners,both of white

and dusky races,had known and dreaded the

dangers of the Marae Reef. It lay right in thetrack o f vessels between Opo lu and Nieuwe , onlyvisible to the seaman ’s eye from the mast-head oncalm days as a slight discoloration o f the brilliantblue sea that everywhere else bared its unstaineddepths o f single colour . With a fresh Tradeblowing there was no difficulty in locating it

,for it

made its menace heard as well as seen . The long ,indolent Pacific swell

,sweeping majestically from

continent to continent across half the world,met

this mushroom growth in its mighty path and

immediately raised its awful voice in thunderousprotest against such an addition to the alreadyinnumerable dangers of that perilous region .

Not only so,but as if it would uproot the in

truder from its massy foundations that broadeneddown into the matrix o f the world

,the wrathful

wave arose in gigantic billows o f foaming white,

in the midst of which momentarily appeared the

Idyll s of the Sea

defiant summits of l iving rock,steadfast and secure

,

while the ageless ocean vainly sought to uproot itfrom its eternal base . But such scenes were of themost infrequent occurrence . The normal conditions o f those waters were peaceful , and the swellscarcely heavy enough to raise even a solitarybreaker once a day . And as the scanty tradebetween the islands grew less and less

,the danger

o f the reef, nay, almost its very existence , passedo ut o fmen’s minds .Still

,heedless o f either elemental strife o r

serenest calm,the microscopic masons toiled o n

,

each in its tiny cell content to fulfil the conditionso f its being and to add its infin itesimal quota tothe world - fragment ; then , having justified itsexistence

,to pass into other forms o f usefulness by

means o f the ever- active alchemy of Nature . Butfor those of the builders whose lot it was to reachthe summit o f the fabric which their united effortshad reared there was another ending

,o r rather

transmutation . A swift oblivion awaited them,a

sudden severance from their life-work,as the reef

,

now awash,was left temporarily dry by the ebbing

tide . Yet all around them uncounted myriads oftheir co—workers toiled eagerly upward to the samepersonal fate

,the same collective achievement

,each

adding some essential to form the perfect whole .Thus from generation to generation the fabricgrew

,so slowly by man’s reckoning

, so swiftlyaccording to the hasteless chronology o f creation

,

until there came a day when,after a more


dragged her huge bulk lingeringly into the clearwaters again

,and was immediately transformed

from a crawling reptile into a swift and gracefulcreature that cleft the waves like an arrow.

Thenceforward many visitants came and went,

birds,crustacea

,and fish

,most of them exchanging

benefits with the new land,although any nascent

germs o fvegetation lay biding their appointed timeuntil the sea should finally refrain from flinging anoccasional lustration across the smiling

'face of thenew - born islet . In due process o f the suns

,

however,a wandering coco—nut came with many a

backward sweep and much dallying upon the o utskirts o fthe surrounding reef among the bewilderingeddies

,until at last a friendly wavelet caught it and

spun it up high and dry,where it lay at rest

,kept

from rolling seaward again by a little ridge left inthe sand

,the impress of a more than usually

vigorous breaker . In that soft scene o f milddelight day succeeded day like the passing of asunny afternoon dream

,undisturbed by any

clamorous voice of wind or hoarse note o fravin fromthe sea. Balmy airs

,like the sweet breath of love

,

scarcely dimpled the serene face of the blue oceanaround . In a beneficen t flood the golden sunshinelavished its treasures upon the lonely ocean beneathby day

,and by night the unaging glory o f the

silver stars,among whose countless hosts the quiet

beauty o f the lovely moon pursued her stately way,

was perfectly reproduced in the same limitless

The B irth o f an I sland 5 1

Beneath these gentle,yet irresistible

,influences

that solitary coco- nut felt its dim interior fermentwith life . And out from the dead dryness o f itshusk sprang two Slender arms ; tender , beseechingthings of a living green in almost startling contrastto the withered

,storm- tossed envelope from whence

they had emerged . In Obedience to some hiddenimpulse one of them bent downwards and by Slowpersistence wrought its way into the sand

,while the

other lifted itself erect and presently unfolded adelicate green fan . Unwatched , unadmired , saveby that Infinite Intelligence that fills the remotestcorners of earth and sea with loveliness fo r Its owndelight

,the tiny tree strengthened daily

,mooring

itself ever deeper by spreading rootlets that reacheddown through the interstices o f the reef beneath

,

and raising higher and higher in perfect beauty itsfeathery fronds of palest green

,the earliest pioneer

o f the vegetable kingdom in this youthful patch o f

Mother Earth . After a while , as the coast—lineextended and more of the dry land held its own

against the engirdling deep,other plants o f lower

stature,but equal charm

,managed to find a

congenial root- hold in this seemingly barren patchof sand . Humble as they were

,they gave to the

islet the friendly tint that all eyes love,and made it

more complete . Several migrant sea—birds haltedhere

,and

,finding the spot exactly suited to their

needs,made it their home

,laying their large eggs

barely upon the smooth sand,and rearing in happy

aloofness from all enemies their voracious broods.


Turtles no longer disdained the scanty beach as asafe hatching place fo r their plentiful stores o f eggs ,and strange waifs from far—away lands were arrestedin their weary oscillations about the never- restingocean and peacefully brought here to a final abidinglace .PSo fared the uneventful , unnoted procession o f

days,months

,and years

,until one morning the

now abundant,happy life o f the island awoke

,as

was its wont, at the first warm breath of a newday . A soft blush o f indescribable colour-blendsreplaced the dark violet o f the night sky, whoseshadows retreated before that conquering dawn asif in haste to allow the advent of its coming glory .

Soon,heralded by spears

,streamers

,and sheaves o f

shining gold,the majestic s ilence o f his entry

smiting the waiting hemisphere like the trump o f

an archangel,the great sun rose . His first level

rays glided across the glowing sea and fell upon thewan

,upturned face of a man

,flung like any other

fragment of j etsam up from the heaving bosom o f

the Pacific,and left apparently lifeless on the sand

near the trunk of the now sturdy tree . Underthat loving touch of reviving warmth the pale

,set

features relaxed,a shudder as if Of re—entering

vitality shook the gaunt limbs,and presently the

eyes unclosed . The first human visitor to theisland sat up and stared vacantly around . His upturned eyes caught sight o f the great green buncheso f delicious young fruit hanging some twenty feetabove his head

,and the sight was tantalising

The B irth o f an I sland 5 3

beyond measure to his leathery,cracking tongue

and throat . He was far to o weak to attempt sucha task as climbing the tree would have been buta few of the eggs that lay near soon supplied himwith fresh vigour

,although the outraged birds

protested all they knew against this strange experien ce, unlike anything hitherto troubling theirpeaceful life . But as the man grew stronger hisproceedings troubled the original freeholders moreand more . For he collected a great heap of driftwood

,including the mast o f his own vessel , upon

which he had been borne hither,and presently from

o ut o f the midst o f the heap arose a heavy blackpillar o f smoke . Then through the smoke bur‘stflashes of fire

,before which all but those birds with

young,whom no terrors would have driven them

from,

fled shrieking away . As the man grewstronger he climbed the tree

,and drank greedily

from the sweet liquid filling the young nuts butwhile he sat there among the far- spreading leaves

,

he saw a Sight that touched him deeper than wouldthe most beautiful Nature picture in the world

,

a schooner making for the island . They had seenhis smoke—pillar at a great distance and alteredtheir course to his rescue . So he went away

,

leaving behind him a terrible memory as o f theravages of some unthinkable monster whose visithad changed , not only the face o f Nature , but allthe habits and customs o f the island—folk .

A SU BMAR INE EARTH ! UAK E

TH ER E was a delicate tint o fgreen over all the skyinstead of its usual deep

,steadfast blue All

around the horizon the almost constant co n

comitan ts o f the Trade winds,fleecy masses of

cumuli,were lying peacefully

,their shape unaltered

from hour to hour . Their usual snowy wh iteness,

however,was curiously besmirched by a shading

o f dirty brown which clung around their billowyoutlines

,giving them a stale appearance greatly at

variance with the normal purity o f these lovelycloud—forms . The afternoon sun

,gliding swiftly

down the shining slope o f heaven toward thewestern edge o f that placid sea

,had an air o f

mystery about his usually glorious disc,a wondrous

glow o f unnameable tints that,streaming away

from him into the clear firmamen t,encircled him

with a halo of marvellous shades,all lacking the

palpitating brightness usually inseparable fromsolar displays near the Equator . And over thesea—surface also was spread

,as upon a vast palette

,

great splashes o f colour,untraceable to any defin ite

A Submarine Earthquake 5 5

source,mysterious in their strange beauty . At

irregular intervals,across that silent expanse o f

peaceful limpidity,came

,in stately onset

,an

undulating throb o focean’s heart,— a shining knoll

o f water one hundred leagues in length,but so

mobile,so gentle in its gliding incidence

,that it

was beautiful as the heaving bosom of a sleepingnaiad . The very silence

,deep and solemn as

that of the stellar spaces,was sweet

,—a peaceful

sweetness that fell upon the soul like the mostexquisite music

,and soothed as does a dreamless

sleep .

And yet,in spite o f the indescribable charm o f

that divine day,there was on board the solitary

Ship that gave the needed touch of human interestto that ocean Elysium a general air o f expectan cy

,

a sense o f impending change which as yet couldnot be called uneasiness

,and still was indefinably

at variance with the more manifest influences thatmade for rest of mind and body . The animals onboard

,pigs and cats and fowls

,were evidently ill

at ease . Their finer perceptions,unbiassed by

reasoning appreciation o f Nature ’s beauties,were

palpably disturbed,and they roamed restlessly

about,often composing themselves as if to sleep

,

only to resume their agitated prowling almostimmediately . Lower sank the sun

,stranger and

more varied grew the colour—schemes in sky andsea. Up from the Eastern horizon crept graduallya pale glow as o f a premature dawn

,the breaking

of an interpolated day shed by some visitant sun


from another system . The moon was not yetdue for six hours , so that none could attribute thisunearthly radiance to her' rising . Busy each withthe eager questionings o f his own perturbed mind

,

none spoke a word as the sun disappeared,but

watched in suspense that was almost pain thebrightening of this spectral glare . Suddenly, as ifreflected from some unimaginable furnace

,the

zenith was all aflame . That fiery glow aboveturned the sea into the semblance o f a lake ofblood

,and horror distorted every face . The still

persisting silence now lay like the paralysis o f atrance upon all

,and an almost frantic desire for

sound racked them to the core .At last

,when it seemed as if the tension o f their

nerves had almost reached the sn apping point,

there was an overwhelming sulphurous stench,

followed by a mutter ing as o f thunder beneath thesea . A tremendous concussion below the keelmade the stout hull vibrate through every beam

,

and the tall masts quivered like willow twigs in asquall . The air was full of glancing lights

,as if

legions o f fire—flies disported themselves . Slowlythe vessel began to heave and roll

,but with an

uncertain staggering motion,unlike even the

broken sea of a cyclone centre . Gradually thatdreadful light faded from the lurid sky, and wasreplaced by a smoky darkness

,alien to the

overshadowing gloom of any ordinary tempestStrange noises arose from the deep

,not to be

compared with any o f the manifold voices Of the


smell as if with the fumes of molten sulphur , hadslain the beasts . The discovery of this ghastlydetail of the night’s terrors did not add much totheir fears . It could not ; for the mind o f mancan only contain a limited amount o f terror

,as the

body can only feel a limited amount o fpain,which

is something to be deeply thankful for .Shortly after midnight there was a deafening

uproar,a hissing as o f the Apocalyptic Star being

quenched,and immediately the gloom became filled

with steam,an almost scalding fo g, through which

as through a veil came a red Sheen . At the sametime a mighty swell swept toward them from eastto west

,striking the ship full in the stem .

Gallantly she rose to the advancing wall o fwateruntil she seemed upreared upon her stern

,but in

spite of her wonderful buoyancy a massive sea

broke on board,clearing the decks l ike a besom of

destruction . Down the receding slope o f thisgigantic billow she fled

,as if plunging headlong to

the sea—bed,and before she had time to recover

herself was met by another almost as huge .Clinging for life to such fragments as still held onthe clean—swept decks

,the crew felt that at last all

was over . But the good ship survived the thirdwave

,being then granted a brief respite before

another series appeared . This allowed all hands abreathing space

,and an opportunity to notice that

there was a health ier smell in the air,and that the

terror- striking noises were fast dying away . Whenthe n ext set o f rollers came thundering along they

A Submarine Earthquake 5 9

were far less dangerous than before,nor

,although

they made a clean breach over the much- enduringsh ip

,were they nearly as trying to the almost

worn- out crew . And now,breaking through the

appalling drapery that had hidden the bright faceof the sky, suddenly shone the broad smile o f thes ilver moon . Like the comforting face of a dearfriend

,that pleasan t sight brought renewed hope

and vigour to all . Again the cheery voices of theOfficers were heard

,and all wrought manfully to

repair the damage done by the terrible sea. Oneby one the glittering stars peeped out as the gloomycanopy melted away

,revealing again the beautiful

blue of the sky. A gentle breeze sprang up,but

for awhile it was only possible to lay the ship ’shead approximately o n her course

,because the

compasses were useless . The needles had tempo rarilylost their polarity in the seismic disturbancethat had taken place beneath them . But that wasa small matter . As long as the celestial guideswere available

,the navigators could afford to wait

until,with the rest o f Nature’s forces

,magnetism

regained its normal conditions . 5 0,during the

energetic labours o f the men,the morning quickly

came , hailed by them as a sight they had neveragain expected to see . And what a dawn it was .Surely never had the abundant day been so delightful , the heaven so stainless , the air so pure . All themore because of the extraordinary contrast betweensky and sea for old ocean was utterly unlike anysea they had ever before sailed upon . As far as

6 o Idyll s of the Sea

the eye could reach the surface was covered withfloating pumice

,so that the vessel grated through

it as if ploughing over a pebbly beach . Whereever the water could be seen it was actually muddy

,

befouled like any ditch . Dead fish,floating and

distorted,added to the ugliness of what overnight

was so beautiful . Most pathetic of all , perhaps ,upon that dead seawas the sight o f an occasionalspot of white

,a tiny patch o f ruflied feathers

floating,that had been o n e of the fearless winged

wanderers who add so much to the beauty of thesea

,its j oyous life quenched by the poisonous

fumes o f the submarine earthquake .

THE SILENT WARFARE OF THESUBMARINE WORLD

ALL imaginative minds are inevitably impressed bythe solemn grandeur of the sea. Some shudderat its awful loneliness

,its apparent illimitability

,

its air o f brooding,ageless mystery in calm .

Others are most affected by its unchainable energy,

the terror o f its gigantic billows,i ts immeasurable

destructiveness in storms . Yet others,a less

numerous class,ponder over its profundities of

rayless gloom and uniform cold,where incalculable

pressures bear upon all bodies,so that cylinders of

massive steel are flattened into discs,and water

percolates through masses o fmetal as though theywere o f muslin . But there is yet another aspectof the oceanic wonders that engages the meditationsof comparatively few

,and this is perhaps the most

marvellous o f them all .Placid and reposeful

,tempest- tossed o r current

whirled,the unchangeable yet unresting surface of

the ocean reveals to the voyager no inkling o f

what is going o n below its mobile mask,and even

6 2 Idy l ls of the Sea

when furrowed deepest by the mighty but invisibleploughshare of the storm

,how slight is the efl

'

ect

felt twenty feet deep . Yet in those soundlessabysses of shade beneath the waves a war is beingincessantly waged which knows no truce

,ruthless

,

unending,and universal . On earth the struggle

for existence is a terrible one,exciting all o ur

sympathies when we witness, its p itilessness , beingourselves by some happy accident outside the area .Nature

,red in tooth and claw

,weeding o ut the

unfit by the operation o f her inexorable laws,

raises many a doubting question in gentle souls asto why all this suffering should ' be necessary .

They see but a portion o f the reversed patternwoven by the eternal looms . But the fauna o f

the land are by an enormous majority herbivorous,

mild in their habits,and terrified at the sight o f

blood . Even the carnivora,

fierce and ravenousas are their instincts

,do not devour o ne another

except in a few insignificant and abnormal cases,

such as wolves driven mad by starvation . Muchless do they eat their own Offspring

,although there

are many instances of this hideous appetite amongthe herbivores

,which are familiar to most o fus .

In striking contrast to these conditions,the

tribes o f ocean are all devourers o f each other,

and,with the exception Of the mammalia and the

sharks,make no distinction in favour of their own

fruit . One single instance among the inhabitantso f the sea furnishes us with a variation . Thehalicore , dugong , o r manatee (Sirenia) , now nearly

Warfare of Submarine World 6 3extinct

,are

,without doubt

,eaters of herbage only .

This they gather along the shores whose watersare their habitat

,o r cull from the shallow sea

bottoms . Fo r all the rest,they are mutually de

pendent upon each other’s flesh for life,unscrupu

lous,unSatisfied

,and vigorous beyond belief. Vae

Victis is their motto,and the absence o f all other

food their sole and sufficient excuse . Vieweddispassionately

,this law o f interdependence direct

is a beneficen t o ne in spite o f i ts apparent cruelty .

Vast as is the sea,the fecundity of most o f its

denizens is well known to be so great that withouteffective checks always in operation it must rapidlybecome putrid and pestilential from the immenseaccumulation o fdecaying animal matter . As thingsare

,the life o f a herring

,for instance

,from first to

last is a series of miraculous escapes . As o va,their

enemies are so numerous,even their own parents

greedily devouring the quickening spawn,that it

is hard to understand how any are overlooked andallowed to become fish . Yet as fry

,after providing

food for countless hordes o f hungry foes,they are

still sufficiently numerous to impress the imaginationas being in number like the sands o f the sea. And

so,always being devoured by millions

,they pro

gress towards maturity,at which perhaps o ne

billionth o f those deposited as o va arrive . Thisinfinitesimal remnant is a mighty host requiringsuch supplies o f living organisms for its daily foodas would make an astronomer dizzy to enumerate .And every o ne is fat and vigorous must be

,since

64. Idyll s of the Sea

none but the fittest can have survived . Theirglittering myriads move in mysteriously orderedmarch along regular routes

,still furnishing food

for an escort of insatiable monsters such as whales,

sharks,etc . ; while legions o f sea—fowl above

descend and clamorously take their tiny toll . Indue season they arrive within the range o f man .

He Spreads his nets and loads his vessels,but all

his spoils,however great they may appear to him

,

are but the crumbs o f the feast,the skimmings o f

the pot .This marvellous system of supply and demand

is,of course

,seen in its highest development near

land,or at any rate where the bed o f the sea is

comparatively near the surface,as on the Banks of

Newfoundland,the Agulhas Banks

,and many

others . But in the deepest waters of the ocean,

far from any shore,there are immense numbers of

swift predatory fish,such as the bonito

,the dolphin

(eoryplzeena) , and the albacore . Mammalia also,

like the porpoise,grampus

,and rorqual

,require

enormous supplies o f fish for their sustenance,and

never fail to find them . As we ascend the scaleo f size the struggle becomes majestic— a war o f

Titans,such as no arena on earth has seen since

the Deluge . The imagination recoils dismayedbefore the thought o f such a spectacle as is affordedby the gigantic cachalot descending to the murkydepths where in awful state the hideous Krakenbroods . No other n ame befits this inexpressiblemonster as well as the old Norse epithet bestowed

Idylls of the Sea

But this monster clashes his j aws continually as herushes to and fro among the panic- str icken hosts

,

scattering their palpitating fragments around h imin showers . In like manner do his victims playthe destroyers’ part in their turn . Yonder flighto f silvery creatures whose myriads cast a denseshade over the bright sea are fleeing for life

,for

beneath them,agape for their inevitable return

,are

the serried ranks o f their ravenous pursuers .Birds intercept the aerial course o f the fugitives

,

who are in evil case indeed whithersoever theyflee . But descending the scale , we shall find thepersecuted Exoeeta also o n the warpath in theirthousands after still smaller prey .

Time would fail to tell o f the ravages o f theswordfish

,also a mackerel o f great size and fero

city,who launches h imself torpedo - like at the

bulky whale,the Scavenger—shark, o r a comrade

,

with strict impartiality . And o f the “ killerwhale

,eater of the tongue only of the mysticetus

the thresher-shark,aider and abettor of the killer

o r the sawfish,who disembowels h is prey that his

feeble teeth mayhave tender food . Their warfareknows no armistice ; they live but to eat and beeaten in their turn

,and as to eat they must fight

,

the battle rages evermore . The dark places o f theearth are full o f the habitations of cruelty

,but

they are peaceful compared with the sombre depthso f the sea.

AN EF FE CT O F RE F RA CT I ON

ALL hands were asleep . The conduct o f thewatch o n deck

,though undoubtedly culpable

,had

just this excuse,that the ship was far out of the

track of other vessels,and lying lapped in a

profound calm,still as a Ship can ever be upon

the ocean ’s never - resting bosom . It was mytrick at the wheel

,and although I had certainly

been asleep like the rest o f my shipmates,I

presently found myself wide awake,as if an

unfelt breath had in an instant swept my brainclear o f those bewildering mist—wreaths that usuallyhinder the mind o n its return to tangible thingsfrom its wanderings in the realms ’

fro f the unknown .

Instinctively I glanced aloft,where the sails hung

flatly motionless,except for an occasional rippling

flap,soft—sounding as the wing of a mousing owl,

as the vessel swayed dreamily over the caressingswell . Overhead

,the bright eye o f Aldebaran

looked down with a friendly gaze , but not an aireven o f the faintest was there to stir the slumbering keel . On the companion , a few feet away,


the shapeless form of the mate was dimlydiscernible

,as in some incomprehensible tangle o f limbs

he lay oblivious o f his surroundings . Throughthe open after- leaf o f the cabin skylight came theclose

,greasy—smelling reek o f the little den below.

The useless compass answered my inquiring peepwith a vacant stolidity

,as if it were glued to the

bottom of its bowl . Only the clock seemed aliveand watchful

,tell ing me that for still another

hour I must remain at my post,although my

presence there was the merest formality .

SO I turned my thoughts listlessly in thedirection o f the sailor’s usual solace during longspells of lonely watch— the building of airyvisions o f shore delights

,when

,the long voyage

over,I Should be free once more for a short

time with a little handful o f fast-disappearing goldwherewith to buy such pleasures as I couldcompass . As I thus dreamed

,the heavy minutes

crawled away on leaden - shod feet,while the

palpable silence enwrapped me,almost making

audible the regular rhythm o f my heart . Butgradually o ut of this serene outward and inwardquiet there stole over me a nameless sense o f fear

,

why o r of what I had no idea . Nay, I hardly recognised this benumbing stealthy change in the calmnormal flow of my being as fear . It was anindefinite alteration o f all my faculties from healthyrestful regularity to a creeping stagnation

,as o f

some subtle poison disintegrating my blood andturning it into chilly dust . All the moisture o f

An Effect o f Refraction 6 9

my body seemed evaporating,my skin grew

tighter , and my breath came in burning gaspsthat scorched my nostrils and throat . Yet, whilethis disabling Of all my physical constituents wasprogressing

,my mind was actively rebelling against

the mysterious paralysis of its usually willing co

operators . Eagerly,fiercely

,it demanded a reason

,

urged to instant action of some kind . Then,still

in the same fateful,hasteless manner

,my terror

took a more definite shape . It,whatever was

thus sapping my most vital forces,was behind me .

I felt it ; I realised it ; but what o r who or howit was I could not or dared not imagine . DimlyI dwelt upon what I felt ought to be certain

,that

only about six feet o f clear deck separated mefrom the vacant plane o f the sea

,but that certainty

would not appear sure,as it ought to have done .

At last,by what seemed to me a superhuman

effort o f will , I summoned all my resources andturned my body round . There lay the Sleepingsea

,besprinkled all over with reflections of in

numerable stars that shone scarcely less brillianto n the smooth face o f the deep than they did inthe inscrutable dome above . But among thosesimulated coruscations lay what looked like thelong straight folds of a shroud . Broadening as itneared me

,it faded away before its skirts reached

the ship . My dry,aching eyeballs followed its

pallid outlines ho riz o nwards until at that indefinable limit where sea and sky seem to meet my feartook shape . There in the blue-black heaven , its

7o Idylls of the Sea

chin resting o n the sea margin,glared a gigantic

skull,perfect in all its ghastly details

,and glowing

with that unearthly light that only emanates fromthings dead . Yet the cavernous openings of thatawful visage

,deep within their darkness

,showed

a lurid suggestion of red that burned and fadedas if fed from some hidden furnace beyond .

This horr ible apparition,so utterly at variance

with the placid loveliness o f its setting,completed

my undoing . I actually felt thankful for its appalling hideousness as the sense that my endurancelimit was reached came upon me . With a feelingo f unspeakable gratitude and relief

,I felt my

parched—up bones melt, my whole frameworkcollapsed, and I sank slowly to the deck , allknowledge fading like the last flicker o f anexhausted lamp . But with the last gleam o f sightI saw the Thing , elongated o ut of all proportion

,

suddenly snap the unseen ligament that boundit to the hor izon . And immediately

,some distance

above,the sweet cool face o f the lovely moon

shone full- orbed, to commence her tr iumphalmarch across the Sky. Then for an age I died .

By slow, painful stages life returned to me , asif the bewildered spirit must creep and grove!through obscene tunnels and tortuous grooves o finterminable length before it could again reanimatethe helpless tabernacle awaiting it . But so greathad been the shock

,so complete the disorganisation

o f all my powers,that for what seemed hours

after I became fully conscious again,I was

An Effect of Refraction 71

unable to raise an eyelash . The same profoundpeace still reigned

,not a sound

,hardly a move

ment o f the vessel . Slowly my eyes unclosed . .

I lay in a lake o f moonlight streaming from theradiant globe sailing up the blue

,now well

advanced in her stately progress among the palingstars . As I looked up at the splendid satellite Iwondered vaguely how I could ever have connectedsuch a well- beloved obj ect with the brain—witheringterror o f the immediate past . The problem wasbeyond me

,never an acute reasoner at the best o f

times,but now mentally palsied by what I had

undergone . While I still lay in sentient inabilityto move I heard the mate rise to h is feet with aresounding yawn . The familiar no ise broke thespell that held me . I rose to my feet involuntarily and peered in at the clock

,which was

on the stroke of four . “ Eight bells,sir , I said ,

but in a voice so harsh and strange that theofficer could not believe h is ears . What’s that ?he queried wonderingly . I repeated the words .He rose and struck the bell

,but came aft

immediately he had done so and peered into myface as if to see who it was . “ Ain ’t ye well ?he asked .

“ Y’ look like a cawpse . I made

some incoherent reply,upon which he said quickly

,

“ Here,go fo r’ard ’

n turn in,

’

relse I’m damnedif ye won ’t be sick . Listlessly I answered Ay,ay, sir

,

” and shambled forward to my S '

uffy bunk .

My shipmates,heavy with sleep , took no notice

o f me,and I turned in

,to lie tossing feverishly

,


every sinew in my body vibrating with pain so as

to be almost unbearable . A long spell o f whatI suppose was brain fever followed

,during which

the terrible vision o f that middle watch was reenacted a thousand times with innumerablefantastic additions . Out o f that weary waste o f

life I emerged transformed from a ruddy,full

faced youth into a haggard,prematurely Old man

,

while nothing but my stalwart physique enabledme to survive . For the rest of the voyage myshipmates looked upon me with awe

,as upon o ne

who had made a fearsome voyage into the unseenworld lying all around us

,and been permitted to

return wise beyond the power Of mortal speech toexpress . But my silence upon the subj ect was onlybecause I really had nothing to tell . Whence camethat marrow—freezing fear I shall never know

,or

why . What I saw was simply such a grotesquedistortion of the moon ’s disc as is often witnessedin low latitudes

,when either sun or moon r ising

appears to have the lower limb glued to thehorizon for quite an appreciable time

,while

fragments o f mist o r cloud passing over theluminous and elongated face cause strange patternsto appear upon it . And when suddenly the connectio n seems to break, the luminary apparentlysprings several degrees at a bound into the clearsky above . Just an effect o f refraction— nothingmore .


separated to have admitted small vessels betweenthem

,Should the turbulent swell ever be quiet

enough to permit such daring navigation . At o nepoint a sort o f causeway ran seaward somehundreds of feet at right angles to the beach .

The crags o fwhich this was composed were baredat half ebb

,but from their tops o ne could in places

look down into blue hollows where no bottomcould be seen . Except when the wind was high ,this ridge

,though exceedingly difficult to traverse

,

from its broken character,was protected from

battering seas . Lying,as it did

,so much nearer

the land,and in a different direction to the other

barriers,i t was sheltered by them to such an extent

that only upon rare occasions was it swept fromend to end by a lingering

,lolloping swell that did

not break .

Driven by that same pitiless necessity that hadcompelled me to ferret o ut the means o f existencesomehow since I reached my tenth year

,it was no

long time before I discovered that this rugged spurwas the best place for fishing

,especially with regard

to crustacea,because a multitude o f fish inhabited

the irregular cavities o f the reef beneath . Andsince I had water in abundance

,a 4o o—gallon tank

full having washed ashore from the wreck,while Of

biscuit and fishing—tackle there was also some

store,I spent a good deal of my time upon the un

even pathway formed by this natural pier . Co n

tenting myself with small bait cut from someluckless baby octopus I always waylaid at starting.

A Waking Nightmare 75

I was un troubled by fish too large for my immaturestrength

,though o n several occasions I onlyjust

succeeded in tearing half the palpitating body ofmy catch o ut o f the eager j aws of some monsterthat rushed at him as he made his involuntaryjourney upwards .Although so young

,I was fairly seasoned to

alarms and not at all nervous,which was as well ,

for if I had been I should probably have died o f

fright during the first night of mystay o n the islet .But there was one inexplicable noise that alwaysmade me feel as if I had swallowed a lump of iceaccidentally when I heard it . Even while on boardthe ship I never felt easy about it

,the less SO

because I co uld never find an explanation Of itsorigin . It sounded as if some giant had smittenthe sea flatly with a huge paddle

,o r

,still more

,as

if an extra large whale were “ lob—tailing ”— i .e.

poised in the water head downwards,and striking

deliberate blows upon its surface with h is mightyflukes . This is a favourite habit with the largercetacea , but only in the daytime , although I didnot then know o f it . The no ise which scared me ,however

,was only heard at night

,when

,with a

calm sea and not a breath of wind stirring,it

assailed my ears like a summons from the unseenworld . For this cause alone I was always glad tosee the blessed daylight flooding the sky again .

Several days wore away uneventfully enough ,and I was getting quite inured to silence andsolitude

,when it befell that the ebb came late in


the afternoon . By the slant of the sun I judgedit must be somewhere about five o ’clock when Iclimbed o ut along the slippery causeway to myfavourite spot— a smooth hollow in the crest o f agreat boulder

,from which comfortable perch I

could look down o n either side into deep,blue

water . Here I seated myself cosily, and soonhauled up a dozen o r so o f sizable fish . Then

,

having ample provision,I rolled up my line

,and

lounged at ease,Sleepily surveying the unspeakable

glories o f the sunset . Whether in the body o r o ut

o f the body I cannot tell,but the time slipped

away unnoticed by me,till suddenly I started up

,

every nerve tingling with fear at the sound I somuch dreaded somewhere very close at hand . Itrembled so violently that I could not go back justyet indeed , I could not stand, but sank into mystony seat . At thatmomen t I turned my head to theright

,and saw rising o ut Of the water apparently

quite slowly a hideous shape,if shape it could be

said to possess any . In the gathering gloom itappeared almost like a gigantic bat as far as itsgeneral outline could be seen

,but I never heard o f

a water—bat . For quite an apprec iable space ithung in the quiet air

,changing all the placid beauty

o f the evening into brain—benumbing horror forme then with an unfolding movement it fell uponthe glassy surface

,producing the awe - inspiring

sound I had so Often shuddered at,its volume

augmented tenfold by its nearness . Like somefascinated bird

,I remained motionless

,staring at

A Waking Nightmare 77

the rapidly smooth ing spot where the awful thinghad disappeared . Then suddenly the sea at myfeet became all black

,and out of its depths there

arose close at my Side a monster that was theembodied - realisation of my most terrified imaginings . Its total area must have been about 200

square feet . It was somewhat o f a diamond shape,

with a tapering,Sinewy tail about as long again

as its body . Where I judged its head to be was aconvex hollow

,which opened widely as it rose

,

disclosing rows of shining teeth,set like those o f a

human being . At each S ide o f this gulf rose aspiral horn about two feet long

,looking like twisted

whalebone , and guarding the eyes which lay betweenthem . Oh

,those eyes ! Though not much more

than twice as large as a horse’s,as they glared

through the wide slits within which they festeredthe ruddy sheen of the sunset caught them

,making

them glow bloodily with a plenitude o f ghastlyferocity that haunts me yet . And o n either s ideo f the thing undulated gigantic triangular wings

,

raising its mass into the air with noiseless case .

All this and more I saw in the (breathless spaceof its ascent ; then it hung between me andh eaven ,

the livid corrupt- looking corrugations of Its underside all awork

,as it seemed

,to enfold my shrinking

flesh . Those fractions o f a second,stretched into

hours,during which my starting pupils photo

graphed every detail of the loathsome beast,passed

away at last,and it descended slantingly over me .

Then amidst a roar o fwater in my ears the dark


ness swallowed me up,and I knew no more . I am

inclined to think that I owe my life to the trancelike state into which I had fallen

,for although it

appeared a frightfully long time befo re I saw thesweet evening light again

,I was not nearly so

exhausted as I have been on other occasions,when

compelled to take a long dive . But after I hadscrambled up on to the rock again

,wondering to

find myself still al ive,such a recurrence o f over

mastering fear seized me that it was all I could doto crawl crab-wise over the stony pinnacles back tothe sand again . My strength only held out untilI had reached a spot above high—water mark .

There I subsided into blissful unconsciousness o fall things

,and knew no more until a new day was

far advanced,and the terror o f the previous night

only a distressing memory apparently of someprevious stage o f existence . Years afterwards Ilearned that the hideous thing which had thusscared me almost to death was o ne of the raiia’ee

,

or skate tribe . Locally it is known as the alligatorguard

,or devil fish

,and , truly, its appearance

justifies such an epithet . It is apparently harmlessto man

,but why

,alone among the Cephalo pteridae,

it should have the curious habit of taking thesenocturnal leaps out o fwater is a mystery.

X I I I

THE DEREL I CT

SH E had been a staunch,well - found wooden

barque o f about 800 tons,English built

,but

,like

so many more Of o ur sturdy old sailing ships,in

the evening of her days she had been bought bythe thrifty Norwegians . She bore o n her amplestern the faded legend,Olaf Trygvasseii , Treaa

’

fzj em.

Backwards and forwards across the North Atlanticto ! uebec in summer , and to the Gulf Portsin winter

,she had been faithfully dro gueing

timber for them for several seasons,her windmill

pump steadily going and the owners’ profitsaccumulating .

This last voyage,however

,had been unfortunate

from its commencement To the serious annoyance of Trygvasso n and Company, no outwardfreight was obtainable

,while the passage was half

as long again as it should have been . A cargowas secured at last in Pensacola

,with which not

only was her capacious hold crammed,but the

whole deck fore and aft as high as the Shearpo les

was piled with the balks,so that from the fore


castle- head to the taffrail she was flush— a windswept stretch o f Slippery uneven planks with j usta hole left here and there for the hard—bittenmariners to creep down to their darksome densbelow. They were hardly clear of the harbourwhen o ne of those hurricane - like squalls so

common to the Florida Gulf burst upon her,

tearing a whole suit of sails from the yards andstays and sending them fleeting to leeward likefluttering clouds of spindrift . Then gale aftergale buffeted her with unrelenting severity

,treating

the stolid,long - suffering crew with persistent

cruelty as they crept wearily about the bittereminence o f the deckload o r clung half- frozen tothe yards wrestling with the crackling ice- ladencanvas There were no complaints

,for Scandi

navian seamen endure the bitterest hardships withwonderful patience

,growling that well-used

privilege o fBritish seamen— being almost unknownamong them .

At last there came a day when the wind grewmore savage than they had yet borne

,— wind with a

wrathful tearing edge to it,as well as a force

against wh ich none o f their canvas would standfor a moment . AS a last resource they hove herto under a tarpaulin cut from the lazarette hatch

,

only two feet square, which they lashed in themizen rigging . This steadied her for some hours

,

keeping her head to the wind fairly well,until a

sea came howling down out o f the grey hopelessness to windward and caught her on the weather


exchange fo r his services as cabin—boy . Althoughfairly well versed in seafaring—for he had beennearly two years at the poor business— he marvelledmightily at the uproar above and how it was heheard no voices . The noise o f falling spars

,the

dull crashing blows of the sea,and the melancholy

wailing o f the wind were still so deafening that hewas able as yet to console himself with the thoughtthat puny human cries would be inaudible . Butat last his suspense grew unbearable

,and dropping

into the water,which was well above h is waist

,he

struggled o n deck,to find himself sole representa

tive of the crew,and the vessel derelict .

A horror of great loneliness fell upon him .

Long experience of hardness had made him dryeyed upon most occasions where tears would seemto be indicated in o ne so young

,but something

clutched his throat now that made him burst intoa passionate fit o f crying . In the ful l tide o f it hesuddenly stopped and screamed frantically

,Larsen !

Petersen Jansen but there was no voice nor anythat answered .

The wind died away and the sea went down .

There was a break in the pall o f gloomy clouds,

through which the afternoon sun gleamed warmly,

even hopefully . But the brave and much- enduringo ld vessel was now water—logged

,kept afloat solely

by her buoyant cargo . She lay over at an angleo f about 4 the waves lap- lapping the edge o f

the deckload on the lee- Side . Without motivepower or guidance

,the sport of the elements

,she

The Derelict 8 3

drifted helplessly,hopelessly anywhither

,a danger

to all navigation during the hours o f darknessbecause almost invisible . And since she movednot except with the natural oscillation o f the ocean ,the rank parasitic life with which the sea teemsfastened upon her hungrily wherever the waterreached

,so that in a short time she began to smell

ancient and fish- l ike as Caliban .

Amidst that rapidly increasing growth o f weedand shell

,the lonely lad moved ghost - like , h is

sanity preserved as yet by the natural hopefulnessof youth . But a fixed melancholy settled andstrengthened upon h im . He ate barely suffi cientto support his frail life

,although there was a

sufficiency Of coarse food and water for many days .At intervals he held long rambling conversationswith h imself aloud

,peopling the solemn s ilence

around him with a multitude o f the creatures ofhis fancy . But mostly he crouched close down tothe lee edge o f the deckload

,gazing for hours at a

stretch into the fathomless blue depths beneathhim ; for the weather had completely changed ,the drift of the derelict having been southwardinto a region o f well-nigh perpetual calm

,appar

ently unvisi ted by storms o r tenanted sh ips .Day after day crawled by— how many the

solitary child never knew,fo r he kept no reckoning .

Longer and longer grew the dark festoons o fdankweed around the battered hulk

,while the barnacles

,

limpets,and other parasites flourished amazingly .

In those calm waters whither she had drifted fish

84. Idylls of the Sea

o f all shapes and sizes,usually unseen by mortal

eyes,abounded . They swarmed around the weed

bedraped hull as they do about a half- tide rock insome quiet cove unvisited by man . As the calmpersisted these marine visitants grew quainter andmore goblin—like o f shape, fresh accessions to theirnumbers continually reaching the surface . Paleeyes unfamiliar with the naked sunlight blinkedglassily at the garish day o ut o f hideous heads

,

and the motion o f these denizens o f the colddarkness below was sluggish and bewildered . Thewater became thick with greasy scum and theusually invigorating air took o n a taint o f decay

,

the stench o f a stagnant sea. To the boy’s disordered vision these gruesome companions grewmore uncanny than the dreams o f a madman

,but

still,though they daily multiplied until the water

seemed alive with them,the strange fascination

they exerted over him conquered his naturalrepugnance to slimy things all legs and eyes

,that

crawled horribly near . He could hardly sparesufficient time for such scanty meals as he needed

,

and must fetch from his hoard in an upper bunko n the weather- side o f the cabin well o ut o f reachof the encroaching

,restless flood that invaded

almost every other nook . Far into the night,too

,

under the stately stars,when the glazing seawas

all aglow with living fires brightening and fadingin long lines running in a multitude o f directionsand of a rich variety of colours

,he remained

,as if

chained to the rail,staring steadfastly down at the


still once more,save for the ceaseless wash o f the

waves against the weed—hung bulkheads o fthe cabin .

Outside upon the shining sea rode that mostbeautiful of all craft

,a whale - boat, whose trim

crew lay o n their oars gazing curiously and with acertain solemnity upon the melancholy ruin beforethem . The Officer in charge, a young lieutenantin the smart uniform o f the American navy, stoodin the stern- sheets pondering irresolutely, the undertones Ofhis men falling unmeaningly upon his ears .At last he appeared to have made up his m ind, andsaying

,Pull two

,starn three

,

” put the tiller hardover to sheer the boat o ff to seaward

,where the

graceful shape o f his ship showed in strong reliefagainst the blue sky. But the sturdy arms hadbarely taken twenty strokes when

,as if by some

irresistible impulse,the ofl'icer again pressed the

tiller to port,the boat taking a wide sheer

,while

the crew glanced furtively at his thoughtful faceand wondered whatever he was about. Not untilthe boat headed direct for the wreck again did hesteady the helm . In bow

,stand by to hook o n

he cried sharply,and as the boat Shot along the lee

side,

“ unrow.

“ Jemmy,to h is after—oarsman

,

“ jump aboard and see if you can get below,

forrard or aft . If she isn’t bung full yo u mightfind something alive .” Ay, ay, sir,

”said Jemmy

,

a sturdy little Aberdonian,and in ten seconds he

was scrambling over the slippery timbers towards thecuddy scuttle . Plump and he disappeared downthe dark hole . Two minutes’ breathless suspense

The Derelict 87

followed,a solid block of silence

,then a perfect

yell o f delight startled all the watchers nearly o uto f their wits . The dripping head o f the daringScot reappeared at the scuttle ej aculating in cho icestAberdeen : Sen ’s anither han’ here gin ye wull,sir. Ah ’ve fun’ a laddie leevin , an

’

thet’

s Ina moment another man was by his side

,and the

frail little bundle of humanity was passed into theboat with a tender solicitude beautiful to see inthose bronzed and bearded men .

The lieutenant,in a voice choked with emotion

,

said,Poor little chap ! Somehow I felt as if I

eoala’

a’

t leave that ship . G ive way, men he’s sonearly gone that we must get him aboard sharp ifwe’re going to save him after all .” The crewneeded no spur

,they fairly made the boat fly

towards the ship,while the oflicer, with a touch

almost as gentle as a mother ’s,held the boy in his

arms. When she arrived alongside the Essexeverything was in readiness , the fact o f a life beingat stake having been noted a long way o ff. Hewas gently lifted o n board and handed over to thedoctor’s care , while the crew were piped to gunnerypractice and the dangerous obstruction o f thederelict smashed into a mass o fharmless fragments .A few days o fsuch unceasing care as a king might

desire in vain,and the boy took firm hold o n life

again . But his youthful elasticity of spirit has neverreturned to him . A settled gravity has taken itsplace , remaining from the time when he kept h is longand lonely vigil o n the Olaf Tryg‘vasson , derelict.

SOME O CEAN I C B I RD S

IT is surely a matter fo r congratulation that thesentiment of mankind toward what we are pleasedto call the lower animals is certainly

,if slowly

,

tending in the direction o f kinder and moremerciful appreciation o f them in nearly all theirvarieties as knowledge Of them grows from more tomore . As perhaps is but natural, this benevolentfeeling is most strongly marked for birds

,those

feathered Zingari o f the air whose blithe evolutionsabove are more envied by man than any otherpower possessed by the vastly varied memberso f the animal kingdom . In obedience to thegrowing demand for more intimate knowledge o fbirds and their habits whole libraries have beenwritten

,and still this literature increases ; but

while in this there is nothing to cavil at,one

cannot help feeling that the marvellous life Of thesea—birds has received far from adequate attention .

Like so many other denizens o f that vast anddensely populated world o f waters

,their inaccessi

bility has hindered that close observation by trained


naturalists necessary in order to describe them asthey deserve

,while as yet no marine Richard

Jefferies o r White of Selborne has arisen . Andthis want is really to be wondered at

,seeing how

fascinating is the study of oceanic fauna,and

remembering what a wealth of leisure is enj oyedby masters of sailing ships

,which alone afford

opportunities for observing the life o f the sea

people .Easily first in point of interest, as well as size ,

comes the lordly albatross , whose home is far southo f the Line

,and whose empire is that illimitable

area of turbulent waves which sweep resistlessround the world . Compared with his power ofvision (sailors give all things except a ship theepicene gender he the piercing gaze o f theeagle o r condor becomes myopic

,unless , as indeed

may be the case,he possesses other senses unknown

to us by means o f which he is made aware o f

passing events interesting to him occurring atincredible distances . Out o f the blue void hecomes unhasting o n motionless pinions

,yet at such

speed that,o ne moment a speck hardly discernible

,

turn but your eyes away,and ere you can again

look round he is gliding majestically overhead .

Nothing in Nature conveys to the mind so

wonderful an idea of effortless velocity as does hiscalm appearance from vacancy . Like most o f thetrue pelagic birds

,he is a devourer o f offal

,the

successful pursuit o f fish being impossible to hismajestic evolutions . His appetite is enormous

,


geographical range . Also , he is much livelier andmore given to bustle fussily about . It costs himfar less exertion to rise from the sea for flightthan the unwieldy paddling run along the surfacenecessary to give suflicien t impetus for raising thehuge albatross

,and consequently his alightings are

much more frequent . But he is undoubtedly abeautiful bird

,suffering only by compar ison with

the most splendid of all sea—fowl . A brown kindo f albatross

,with a dirty white beak

,is very much

in evidence south Of 20°

S.,dropping continually

into the turbulence of a ship ’s wake,and diving to

considerable depths after scraps . Sailors call themCape hens

,for some misty reason which is never

given . Among Southern birds they occupy muchthe same place in the esteem o f those who areacquainted with them as does the sparrow at home .A general favourite among seamen is the Cape

pigeon , a pretty, busy little sea—bird about the sizeof a clove , but plumper, with a black head and anelaborate pattern in black and grey upon the whiteof its open wings . Around the stern of any passingship large numbers o f these fluttering visitorshover continually

,their shrill cries and unwearying

manoeuvres contrasting pleasantly with the deepmonotone made by the driving keel through thefoaming sea. In common with most Southernsea—birds having hooked beaks

,they are easily

caught with hook and line , but will not live incaptivity . Thoughtless passengers

,wearied with

what they call the tedium o f the voyage,often

Some Ocean ic Birds 9 5

amuse themselves by shooting these gracefulwanderers

,although what satisfaction may be

found in reducing a beautiful living thing to auseless morsel o f draggled carrion is not easy tosee. Occasionally a passing ship finds herselfaccompan ied fo r a very Short time by large flockso f small dove - coloured birds , who , however, dono t seem to care much fo r the association withvessels so characteristic o f sea- birds generally .

These are known as whale—birds,probably because

in the melee that goes on round the carcass o f adead whale they are never seen . Indeed theywould stand but little chance o f a meal among thehordes o f larger and more voracious feasters .Mention must also be made o f a peculiar and uhprepossessing member o f the petrel family

,which

looks much like a disreputable albatross,but is

somewhat scarce . Known indifferently amongwhalemen as the “ Nelly ” o r the “ stinker

,

” itseems probable that this bird is the Southernrepresentative Of the Arctic fulmar

,which is

abundant in the North . His chief peculiarity ishis forwardness . No sooner does a whale giveup the ghost than the Nelly boldly alights uponthe black island- like mass and calmly commencesto peck away at the firm blubber

,while thousands

upon thousands o f other birds wait impatientlyaround

,not daring to do likewise . Hence the

terrible threat current in whaleships, “ I ’ll ’lighto n ye like a stinker on a carcass .”

At the bottom o f the size scale,but in point o f


affectionate interest second to none , comes thestormy petrel

,or Mother Carey’s chicken , a

darling wee wanderer common to both hemispheres

,and beloved by all sailors . With its

delicate glossy black - and—b rown plumage justflecked with white on the open wings , and itslong slender legs reaching o ut first o n o ne sideand then on the other as if to feel the sea

,i t

nestles under the very curl o f the most mightybillows or skims the sides o f their reverberatinggreen abysses content as hovers the lark over alush meadow . Howling hurricane or searchingsnow- blasts pass unheeded over that velvety blackhead . The brave bright eye dims not, nor doesthe cheery little note falter even if the tiny travellermust needs cuddle up close under the lee of somebig ship for an occasional crumb . Only oncehave I known an individual cruel or senselessenough to harm a stormy petrel , and then theexecrations o f his shipmates fairly scared him intorepentance . They seem to have solved the secretof perpetual motion

,and often at night a careful

listener may hear their low cry,even if he be not

keen- Sighted enough to see them flit beneath him .

! uite apart from these true oceanic nomads arethe large class of sea—birds who

,while gathering

their food exclusively from the sea, never go toany great distance from land . This differencebetween them and the birds before mentioned isso strongly marked

,that unobservant as sailors are

generally,there are few who do n o t recognise the


the water o ut flash the black wings again , and witha grand swoop the assailant has passed beneath hisfrightened victim

,caught the plunder

,and soared

Skyward . In like manner these birds may sometimesbe seen to catch a flying fish on the wing , a trulymarvellous feat . It is

,nevertheless

,a pathetic sight

to see them,when old age o r sickness overtakes them ,

sitting in lonely dignity among the rocks wherethey breed

,helplessly awaiting with glazing eyes and

dropping plumage the tardy coming o f deliverance .As for the booby

,whose contemptuous name

is surely a libel,space is now far too brief to do

anything like j ustice to its many virtues . In anumber o f ways it corresponds very closely withthe manners o f our domestic fowls

,notably in its

care of its brood,and utter change in its habits

when the young ones are dependent upon it . Ofstupidity the only evidences really noticeable areits indiflérence to the approach o f generallydreaded dangers when it is drowsy . At night onemay collect as many from their resting—places ascan be desired

,for they make no effort to escape ,

but look at their enemy with a full,steady eye

wherein there is no speculation whatever . Numberless instances might be collected where the tameness

,

as well as the abundance,o f boobies have been the

means o f preserving human life after shipwreck,

while their flesh and eggs are by no means unpalatable . Of several other interesting members o f thegreat family o f oceanic birds we have now no roomto speak , but hope to return to the subject later on .

THE KRAKEN

NEV ER,within the history of mankind

,does there

appear to have been a time when dwellers by thesea did not believe in some awful and giganticmonsters inhabiting that unknown and vague immen srty.

Whether we turn to Genesis to find great seamonsters first of created sentient beings

,or ransack

the voluminous records of ancient civilisations,the

result is the same . What a p icture is that of theHindu sage in the Fish Avatar of Krishna

,finding

himself and his eight companions alone in their arkupon the infinite sea

,being Visited by the god as

an indescribably huge serpent extending a m illionleagues

,shining like the sun

,and with o ne

stupendous horn,sky—p iercing .

In the brief compass o f this chapter I do notpropose to re

’

elzaafer any sea—serpent stories,

ancient or modern . More especially because mysubj ect is the Kraken

,and while I hold most

firmly that the gigantic mollusc which can alonebe given that title is the fem et origo of all true

I o o Idylls of the Sea

sea- serpent stories,it is with facts relating to the

former that I have alone to deal . As might havebeen expected

,all stories o f sea-monsters have a

strong family likeness,showing pretty conclusively

their common derivation,with such differences as

the locality and personality of the narrative mustbe held accountable fo r. But among sea—folk

,as

among all people leading lives in close contact withthe elemental forces o f Nature , legends persistwith marvellous vitality

,and so the story o f the

Kraken is to be found wherever men go down tothe sea in ships

,and do business in great waters .

Substantially the story is': that long low- lyingbanks have been discovered by vessels

,which have

moored thereto,only to find the supposed land

developing wondrous peculiarities . Amid tremendo us turmoil of seething waters

,arms innumer

able,like a nest o fmighty serpents

,arose from the

deep,followed at last by a horrible head

,o f a big

ness and diabolical appearance unspeakably appall ing .

Fasc inated by the terrible eyes that,large as shields

,

glared upon them,the awe- stricken seamen beheld

some of the farreaching tentacles,covered with

multitudes Of mouths , embracing their vessel ,while others searched her alow and aloft

,culling

the trembl ing men from the rigging like r ipe fruit,

and conveying them forthwith into an abysmalmouth where they vanished fo r ever .Such a story

,especially when embell ished by

professional story- tellers,has o f course met with

well-merited scepticism,but sight has been largely

I 0 2 Idylls of the Sea

some stench o f stagnation and decaying things ,such as the genius o f Coleridge depicted when hesang

The very deep did ro t ; O ChristThat ever th is sho uld beYea

,slimy th ings did crawl wi th legs

! po n the slimy sea.

Strangest of all the strange Visitors to the upperworld at such times is the gigantic squid

,or cuttle

fish . Of all the Myriad species o f mollusca th ismonster may fairly claim chief place , and neitherin ancient or modern times have any excited moreinterest than he . Gazing with childlike fear uponhis aweinspiring and uncanny bulk , the ancientshave done their best to transmit their impressionsto posterity . Aristotle writes voluminously uponthe subj ect

,as he did about most things

,but his

cuttles are such as are known to most o fus . Plinyleaves on record much concerning the Sepiadmwhich is evidently accurate in the main

,mention ing

especially ( lib . ix . caps . iv . and xxx . ) one monsterslain on the coast o f Spain which was in the habit o frobbing the salt—fish warehouses . Pliny caused thegreat head to be sent to Lucullus

,and states that it

filled a cask of fifteen amphorae. Its arms werethirty feet long

,so thick that a man could hardly

embrace them at their bases,and provided with

suckers,or acetabula

,as large as basins holding

four or five gallons . But those who have leisureand inclination may pursue the subj ect in the

The Kraken I o 3

works of fElian,Paulinus (who describes the

monster as a gigantic crab) , Bartho linus, AthanasiusKircher

,Athenaeus

,Olaus Magnus

,and others .

Pontoppidan,Bishop of Bergen

,in his Natural

History of Norway,has done more than any

other ancient o rmodern writer to discredit reports,

essentially truthful,by the outrageous fabrications

he tells by way of embellishment of the facts wh ichhe received . Least trustworthy o f all

,he has been

in this connection most quoted of all,but here he

shall be mentioned only to hold his inventions upto the scorn they so richly deserve .

The giganti c squid is,unlike most of the ceph

alo po da, a decapod , not an octopod , since it possesses

,in addition to the eight branchiae with

which all the family are provided,two tentacula o f

double their length,having acetabula only in a

small cluster at their ends . This fact was noticedby Athanasius Kircher

,who describes a large

animal seen in the Sicilian seas which had ten rays,

or branches,and a body equal in size to that o f a

whale which,seeing how wide is the range in size

among whales,is certainly not over—defin ite .

Coming down to much later days,we find Denys

de Montfort facile princeps in his descriptions ofthe Kraken (Hist. Nat . a

’e Molluscs

,tome ii .

p . Unfortunately,his reputation for truth

fulness is but so—so,and he is reported to have

expressed great delight at the ease with which hecould gull credulous people . Still the best of hisstories may be quoted

,remembering that

,as far


as his description o f the monster is concerned,he

does not appear to have exaggerated at all .He records how he became acquainted with a

master mariner of excellent repute,who had made

many voyages to the Indies for the GothenburgCompany

,by name Jean Magnus Dens . To this

worthy,sailing his Ship along the Afr ican coast

,

there fell a stark calm,the which he

,even as

do prudent shipmasters to- day,turned to good

account by having his men scrape and cleanse theoutside of the vessel

,they being suspended near

the water by stages for that purpose . While thusengaged

,suddenly there arose from the blue

placidity beneath a most “ awful monstrous ”cuttle-fish

,which threw its arms over the stage

,

and seizing two o f the men,drew them below the

surface . Another man,who was climbing on

board,was also seized

,but after a fearful struggle

his shipmates succeeded in rescuing him . That samenight he died in raving madness . The mollusc’sarms were stated to be at the base of the bignesso f a fore-yard (vergae d

’

an mat a’o misaine) , whilethe suckers were as large as ladles (caeillier apot) .One who should have done better— Dr . Shaw

,

in his lectures —calmly makes o f that fore-yarda “ mizen-mast

,

” and of the “ ladles ” “

po t—lids

,

which may have been loose translation,even as the

scraping “

gratter” is funnily rendered raking

,

”

as if the ship ’s bottom were a hayfield, but looksuncommonly like editorial expansion

,which the

story really does not require .

1 0 6 Idylls of the Sea

immense calamary between Teneriffe and Madeira.This account was furnished by Lieutenant Bayerto the Académie des Sciences

,and is evidently a

sober record of fact . The monster’s body washauled alongside

,and an attempt was made to

secure it by means of a hawser passed round it,

but of course,as soon as any strain was put upon

the rope,it drew completely through the soft

gelatinous carcass,severing it in two . The length

o f this creature’s body was fifty feet . But M .

Figuier is not satisfied ; he says that even thisaccount must be taken cnin grano salis

,so un

will ing is he to believe in a monster that wouldevidently settle the great Kraken and sea—serpentquestion once for all .Even Dr . Solander and Mr . Banks

,after finding

a cuttle six feet long floating upon the sea nearCape Horn , which was quite beyond all theirprevious experience

,could not bring themselves

to believe in the existence o f any larger . So atthe beginning o f this century

,while people had

largely consented to accept the sea—serpent,they

would have none of the Kraken or anything whichmight reasonably explain the persistence o f evidenceabout him . But had these scientific sceptics onlytaken the trouble to interview the crews of theSouth Sea whalers

,that sailed in such a goodly

fleet from o ur ports during the first half of thecentury

,they must have been convinced that

,so

far from the Kraken being a myth,he is one of

the most substantial o f facts,unless

,indeed

,they

The Kraken I 07

believed that all whalemen were in a conspiracyto deceive them on that point .Any thoughtful observer who has ever seen

a school o f sperm whales,numbering several

hundreds,and understood

,from the configuration

of their j aws,that they must of necessity feed

upon large creatures,can never after feel difficulty

in believing that,in order to supply the enormous

demand for food made by these whales,their prey

must be imposing in size and abundant in quantity .

On my first meeting with the cachalot,o n

terms of mutual destruction,I knew nothing o f

his habits,and cared less . But seeing him

,when

wounded,vomiting huge masses of white substance

,

my curios ity was aroused,and when I saw that

these masses were parts o f a mighty creaturealmost identical in structure with the small squidso Often picked up o n deck

,where it falls in its

frantic efforts to escape from dolphins (Coryplzeena) ,albacore

,or bonito

,my amazement was great .

Some o f these fragments were truly heroic in Size .Surgeon Beale

,in his book on the sperm whale

,

only credits the cachalot with being able to swallowa man

,but with all the respect due to so great a

writer,I am bound to say that such masses as I

have seen ej ected from the stomach o f the dyingwhale could only have entered a throat to whicha man was as a pill is to us . We can , however ,on ly speak o fwhat we have seen ,

and perhaps Dr .

Beale had never seen such large pieces ej ected .

In an article in Nature o f June 4 ,1 896 , I


have described an encounter which I witnessedbetween a gigantic squid and a sperm whale

,in

the Straits o f Malacca,which

,as far as I am

concerned,has settled conclus ively the Kraken

and sea- serpent question for me . This terrificcombat took place under the full glare of a tropicalmoon

,upon the surface o f a perfectly calm sea

,

within a mile of the ship . Every detail o f thestruggle was clearly Visible through a splendidglass

,and is indelibly graven upon my mind . It

was indeed a battle of giants— perhaps all themore solemnly impressive from being waged inperfect silence . The contrast between the lividwhiteness o f the mollusc’s body and the massiveblackness of the whale

,— the convulsive writhing

o f the tremendous arms,as

,like a Medusa’s head

magnified a thousand times,they wound and

gripped about the columnar head of the greatmammal

,—made a picture unequalled in all the

animal world for intense interest . The immenseeyes

,at least a foot in diameter

,glared o ut o f the

dead white of the head,inky black

,appalling in

their fixity o f gaze . Could we have seen morenearly

,and in daylight, we should have also found

that the seawas turned from its normal blue intoa dusky brown by the discharge o f the greatcephalopod ’s reservoir o f sepia

,which in such a

creature must have been a tank o f considerablecapacity . Each o f those farreaching arms wereo f course furnished with innumerable suckingdiscs

,most o f them a foot in diameter

,and

,in


mar ine natural history,was fortunate enough to

witness some bay whalers at Terceira early th isyear catching a sperm whale . He and h isscientific assistants were alike amazed at seeingthe contents o f the whale’s stomach ej ected beforedeath

,but their amazement became hysterical

delight when they found that the ej ecta consistedo f portions of huge cuttle—fish

,as yet unknown to

scientific classification . The species was promptlynamed after the Prince

,Lepia

’oteutlzis Grimala’ii,

and a paper prepared and read before the Academiedes Sc iences at Paris . So profoundly impressedwas the Pr ince with what he had seen

,that he at

once determined to convert his yacht into a whaler,

in order to become better acquainted with thesewonderful creatures

,so long known to the obtuse

and careless whale-fishers . One interesting circumstance noted by the Prince was the number o f

circular impressions made upon the tough andstubborn substance o f the whale’s head

,hard as

hippopotamus hide,showing the tremendous power

exerted by the mollusc as well as his inability todo the whale any harm .

But were I to describe in detail the numerousoccasions upon which I have seen

,not certainly

the entire mollusc,but such enormous portions o f

their bodies as would justify estimating them asfully as large as the whales feeding upon them

,it

would become merely tedious repetition .

As I write,comes the news that an immense

squid has j ust been found stranded o n the west

The K raken 1 I 1

coast o f Ireland,having arms thirty feet in length

,

a form idable monster indeed .

In conclusion,it may be interesting to know

that these molluscs progress,while undisturbed

,

literally o n their heads,with all the eight arms

which surround the head acting as feet as well ashands to convey food to the ever—gaping mouthbut when moving quickly

,as in fl ight

,o r to attack

,

they ej ect a stream o f water from an aperture inthe neck

,which drives them backwards at great

speed,all the arms being close together . Close

to this aperture is the intestinal opening,a strange

position truly . Strangest,perhaps

,of all is the

manner in which some species grow,at certain

seasons,an additional tentacle

,which

,when com

plete , becomes detached and floats away . Inprocess o f time it finds a female

,to which it clings

,

and which it at once impregnates . It then fallso ff

,and perishes . It is probable that the animal

kingdom,in all its vast range

,presents no stranger

method than this o f the propagation o f species .

CONCE RN ING SHARK S

AMONG the most fascinating o f natural historystudies

,but withal o ne o f the most diffi cult

,is

that o f the Sgualia’

ee,

o r shark family . Theplodding perseverance o f German professors hasfurnished students with an elaborate classificationo f these singular creatures in all their knowngenera

,but o f their habits little is really known .

A mass of fable has clustered round them,much

of it surviving from very remote times,and added

to periodically by people who might,if they would

,

know better . The reiteration of shark stories hasin consequence resulted in more ignorant prejudiceagainst the really useful squalus than has perhapsfallen to the lot of any other animal

, althoughmost observant people know how absurd are manyof the popular beliefs about much better knowncreatures . Strangely enough

,the detestation in

which the shark is generally held is largely thefault o f sea-farers . It never seems to occur toshore—going folk how few are the opportunitiesobtained by the ordinary sailor—man of studying


this connection it is interesting to note the remotetimes in which shark legends arose Aristotle ,whose multifarious researches extended into somany fields o fknowledge , furnishes us with almostthe first recorded mention o f the shark

,and his

designation o f them is perpetuated in the scientificnomenclature o f a very numerous species to-day,the Lamiae . From another name for the samecreature Wpfa'

n s, we get Pristiopnoria’ee, or saw

fish,a curious shark confounded by an enormous

number of otherwise well—read people with swordfish which is really a huge mackerelwith a keen bony elongation o f the upper j aw .

Lycophron has recorded that Hercules,in the

course o fhis superhuman adventures, was swallowed

by a shark in whose maw he remainedfor three nights (why not days as thencebeing surnamed Trin o x , o r Trihesperides . Theophrastus, pupil o f Aristotle and Plato

,observes

that the Red Sea abounds with sharks,a remark

which is as true in o ur day as it was in his .The Hercules myth was doubtless founded uponthe reports o f some actual witnesses o f thevoracious habits of these insatiable monsters

,

magnified and distorted , as most natural eventswere in those days

,by superstitious terror . Even

down to the present year o f grace most peoplebelieve that quite a moderate - sized squalus iscapable o f swallowing a man entire

,in spite of the

abundant ocular evidence to the contrary affordedthem by the specimens in museums, whose j aws,

Concern ing Sharks I 1 5

generally denuded o f flesh,give a greater idea o f

their capacity than is warranted by the livingcreature . It is refreshing to find , however , thateven in those dark ages for all kinds o f animalssuch a judicial writer as Plutarch speaks a goodword for th is un iversally feared and detested fish .

He says that in parental fondness,in suavity

and amiability o f disposition , the shark is notexcelled by any other creature . Keen as is mydesire to see tardy justice awarded to the shark

,I

should hes itate to endorse the eminent Greek’sstatement as far as the last two qualities areconcerned . My long and close acquaintancewith the Sgualia’ee does n o t furnish me with anyevidence in their favour on either o f these heads .But in parental affection they are only equalled bythe Cetacea

,no other fish having

,as far as I am

aware,any reluctance to devour its own ofl

’

spring.

Plutarch’s testimony,however

,speaks volumes for

his powers o f observation and courage o f hisopinions

,for ver ily in it he is contra wundaru.

Oppian,having seen the body o f a huge shark in

the museum at Naples , voices in his fifth Halieuticthe general feeling in his day by the followingremarkable outburst : May the earth which Inow feel under me

,and which has hitherto

supplied my daily wants,receive

,when I yield it

,

my latest breath . Preserve me,O Jupiter !

from such perils as th is,and be pleased to accept

my o fferings to thee from dry land . May no thinplank interpose an uncertain protection between


me and the boisterous deep . Preserve me, ONeptune ! from the terrors o f the rising storm ,

and may I n o t, as the surge dashes over the deck ,be ever cast out amidst the unseen perils thatpeople the abyss . ’Twere punishment enoughfor a mortal to be tossed about unsepulchred onthe waves

,but to become the pasture o f a fish

,and

to fill the foul maw of such a ravenous monster asI now behold

,would add tenfold to the horrors o f

such a lot .”Olaus Magnus

,upon whom we may always

depend for something startling and original bothin prose and picture

,exhibits to o ur wondering

gaze an agonised swimmer rising half o ut o f theseawith three ravenous dog—fish hanging to himas hounds to a stag . In the distance is a huge rayor Skate (one o f the same family, by the by) witha human face

,intended probably for a kind o f sea

angel,towards which wondrous apparition the

despairing wretch stretches forth his appealingarms . Coming down to medimval times , Rondoletbabbles o f a shark , taken at Marseilles , in whosestomach was discovered the body o f a man incomplete armour

,a tough morsel to swallow in

more senses than one . He also tells o f a sharkaccidentally stranded near the same port and lyingupon the shore with mouth wide gaping . Intothis inviting portal there entered a man accom

pan ied by a dog . The venturesome pair roamedabout the darksome cavern making all sorts o f

strange discoveries,finally emerging into the outer


probably before the French acquired their reputation for cookery . Numberless varian ts o f thisfantastic fable are extant

,all

,without exception

,as

baseless as the original yarn from which theyhave lineally descended . The annals o f the slavetrade have

,as might be expected

,produced . a

plentiful crop o f shark stories,o fwhich apparently

only the untrue ones survive . It may perhaps betrue that the fiendish flesh dealers o u' the “WestCoast really did surround themselves with acordon o f slaves when they went bathing in thesea

,having relays ready to supply the places o f

those occasionally snatched away by the sharks .Highly improbable though

,since it would have

been so expens ive . Little doubt can attach to thesupposition that

,with their instinct for offal so

marvellously developed as it is , great numbers o fsharks followed the slave- Ships across the seas

,from

whose pestilential holds the festering corpses weredaily flung . But when Pennant tells us that theslaving captains used to hang the body o f a slavefrom yard—arm o r bowsprit—end that they might beamused by the spectacle of sharks leaping twentyfeet o ut o f the sea and tearing the bodies tofragments

,he is stating that which is not only

grotesquely untrue,but manifestly absurd . Sharks

do not leap out o fwater . In making this statementI am liable to be contradicted

,as I have been before

in the columns o f the Spectator, but never , nota oene,except upon hearsay

,or personal evidence that had

grave elements o f doubt about it. Sharks can o f

Concerning Sharks I 1 9

course raise their bodies partly o ut of water by anupward rush

,a supreme effort rarely made by a

naturally and habitually sluggish fish but,after an

exper ience among many thousands o f sharks underthe most varied conditions in all parts of the worldwhere they abound

,I repeat emphatically that it is

impossible fo r a shark to raise his entire body o uto fwater and seize anything suspended in the air .And anyone who has carefully watched o ne sharkseizing anything in the water o r o n the surface willfind it difficul t to disagree with me .One more authority and we will get to first

hand facts . Sir Hans Sloane,in a very particular

account o f the shark,remarkable in many respects

for its accuracy,perpetrates the following It

has several ducts o n the head filled with a sort o fgelly

,from which

,being pressed by the water

,

issues an unctuous,

fviscia’

,slippery

,and mucilagin

ous matter,very proper to make the fish very glib

to sail the readier through the water . Most fishhave something analagous to this .” That any fishshould secrete a lubricant

,at once unctuous and

viscid,fo r the purpose o f accelerating its progress

through the limpid element in which it lives,would

be curious indeed were such a contradictory factpossible

,but that Sir Hans Sloane should say so

,

when the most cursory acquaintance with hissubject would have shown him the absurdity ofsuch a statement

,would be far stranger were it not

fo r the evidence afforded by the Phil. Trans . o f thewildest flights o f imagination o n the part o f savants


even down to comparatively recent times . Butprobably enough space has been g iven to ancientfables about the shark .

The whole family o f the Sgualia’ee, with thedoubtful exceptions o fthe saw-fish (Pristioplzoria

’ee )

and the Raiiclee,o r skates

,are scavengers

,eaters of

offal . As such their functions,though humble

,

are exceedingly useful and important for althoughthe myriads o f Crustacea are scavengers pure andsimple

,their united efforts would be ineffectual to

keep the ocean breadths free from the pollution o f

putrefying matter,since the vast maj ority o f them

dwell upon the bottom o f comparatively shallowwaters . Now when the body o f some immensesea-monster

,such as a whale

,is bereft o f life and

rapidly rots,it usually floats . Then the office o f

the sharks is at on ce apparent . The only largefish that feeds upon garbage

,they are possessed of

an enormous appetite,as well as a digestive

apparatus that would put to shame that o f theostrich

,who is popularly credited with a liking

for such dainties as nails and broken glass fo r li orsd

’

ceuvres . The shark is ever hungry,and nothing

,

living o r dead,comes amiss to his maw ; but owing

to the peculiar shape and position Of his mouth itis only in rare instances that he is able to catch livingprey

,as

,for instance

,when the do —fish o f o ur

coasts,a common species o f shark hated by fisher

men,gets among the nets enclosing a fine catch o f

herring o r mackerel . Then the gluttonous rascalis in for a good time . Heedless o f the flimsy


is apt to become paralysed with fear at the mererumour o f a shark being in his Vicinity . If therebe no Shelter near

,his nerveless limbs refuse their

o ffice,he floats or sinks with hardly a struggle

,and

the ravenous squalus finds in him not only an easyprey

,but no doubt a most savoury morsel . This

is no reason fo r suggesting that the shark prefersthe flesh o f homo sapiens to all other provender .AS I have already said

,his tastes are eclectic . Nay,

it is highly doubtful whether he has any sense o f

taste at all. All experiences point to the contrary,

for it is common knowledge that sharks will gobbleup anything thrown overboard from a ship

,from a

corpse swathed in canvas to a lump o f coal . Thisomnivorousness has been noticed in an able articlepublished in Chamhers’s 7ournal many years ago ,the writer putting forward as a plausible reason fo rit the number of paras ites that infest the stomachso f these fish . In this

,however

,they are by no

means singular , all fish harbouring a goodly numbero f these self- invited boarders

,the shark certainly

entertaining no more than the average .The presence of any large quantity o f easily

obtainable food is always sufficient to secure theund ivided attention o f the shark tribe . Whencutting in ” whales at sea I have o ften beenamazed at the incredible numbers o f these creaturesthat gather in a short space o f time

,attracted by

some mysterious means from heaven only knowswhat remote distances . It has often occurred tous

, when whaling in the neighbourhood o f New

Concern ing Sharks 1 2 3

Zealand,to get a sperm whale alongside without a

Sign o f a shark below o r a bird above . Within anhour from the time o f o ur securing the vast masso f flesh to the sh ip the whole area within at leastan acre has been alive with a seething multitude o fsharks

,while from every airt came drifting silently

an incalculable host of sea—birds,converting the

blue surface of the sea into the semblance of aplain o f new- fallen snow. The body o f a whalebefore an incis ion is made in the blubber presentsa smooth rounded surface

,almost as hard as

india- rubber,with apparently no spot where any

daring eater could find tooth-hold . But,oblivious

o f all else save that internal anguish of desire,the

ravening sea-wolves silently writhed in the densityo f their hordes for a place at the bounteous feast .Occasionally o ne pre - eminent among his fellowsfor enterprise would actually set his lower j awagainst the black roundness o f the mighty carcass

,

and,with a steady s inuous thrust o f his lithe tail

,

gouge o ut therefrom a mass o f a hundredweight orso . If he managed to get awaywith it, the spaceleft presented a curious corrugated hollow

,where

the serrated triangular teeth had worried their waythrough the tenacious substance

,tell ing plainly

what Vigorous force must have been behind them .

But it was seldom that we permitted such premature toll to be taken o f o ur spoil . Theharpooners and officers from their lofty position o n

the cutting stage slew scores upon scores by simplydropping their keen - edged blubber spades upon


the soft crowns of the struggling fish,the only

place where a shark is vulnerable to instant death .

The weapon sinks into the creature’s brain,he

gives a convulsive writhe or two,releases his hold

and Slowly sinks,followed in his descent by a

knot o f his immediate neighbours,all anxious to

provide him with prompt sepulture within theirown yearning maws .At such a time as this the presence of a man in

the water,right in the midst of the hungry host

,

passes unnoticed by them as long as he is uponthe surface and in motion . Among the islands

,

while engaged in the humpbacked whale fishery,

the natives were continually in and o ut o f thewater alongside where the sharks swarmed in

numerable,but we never saw or heard o f o ne

being bitten . And some o f those sharks were o fthe most enormous dimensions— approaching alength of thirty feet and of a bulk almost equalto one o f o ur whale-boats . With that unerringinstinct for spoil characteristic of the sharks

,they

begin to congregate in these seas almost contemporaneously with an attack upon a whale bywhale fishers . Now

,o ne o f the most frequent

experiences in this perilous trade is that of a“ stove boat

,necessitating a subsequent soj ourn

in the sea unprotected— sometimes for hours .Under such circumstances— and they have manytimes fallen to my share— I am free to confessthat I have always had a curious feeling about mylegs as if they were much to o long

,and whenever


specimens o f the basking shark,some nearly thirty

feet long and of much greater girth than theordinary ones

,have been found in o ur own seas

,

but these unwieldy creatures are as harmless aswhales

,and quite as timid . There is a very

circumstantial account in Nature of several yearsago of a curious shark caught at Taboga Island

,

Gulf o f Panama,by the crew o f the Royal Ital ian

corvette VettorPisani . When accurately measuredit was found to be metres long

,and its greatest

girth metres . The mouth o f this monsterwas at the point o f its snout instead o f beneath it

,

but the teeth were rudimentary and covered withmembrane . So harmless was it that it affordedharbourage within Its mouth to several Remora,a curious hanger—o n o f the shark family

,o fwhom

more presently . Dr . Gfin ther classifies this veryqueer fish as Rhinoa’on typions . Sharks o f thesize I have mentioned as abounding in the SouthPacific have often seven rows o f teeth rankedbehind each other . Only the first row were erect

,

the others lay flat as if ready to replace a suddenloss of those in use . But

,after watching their

operations upon pieces o f “ kreng,”I am bound

to say that swallowing a man whole, even by thelargest o f them

,appears to me an utterly impossible

feat .Another peculiarity o f the shark is that their

colossal bodies are built upon a framework o f

cartilage,not bone . This may possibly account

for their complete recovery from the most funda

Concern ing Sharks

mental injuries . I once caught an eight—feet- longshark in the North Atlantic whose appearancesuggested nothing o ut of the common . But

,

having a desire to make one o f those uselessarticles dear to sailors

,a walking- stick of a shark’s

backbone,I went to the trouble of extracting the

sp ine . I found to my amazement that in themiddle o f it there was not only a solid mass o f

bone of over a foot long,but it was at this place

quite double the normal thickness . Further investigatio n revealed the fact that at some periodo fhis career this creature had been transfixed by aharpoon wh ich had torn o ut

,nearly severing his

body in two halves . Several o f the ribs werere—knit and thickened in the same way . Thissplendid recuperative power renders the sharkalmost invulnerable

,except

,as before noticed

,to

a direct severing of the brain,o r such a radical

dismemberment as lopping o ff the tail .Slothfulness is a distinctive feature o f all the

sharks . They are able to put on a spurt at times,

but want o f energy characterises them all . Thishabit reaches its climax in the Remora

,to which

allusion has already been made . As if in pursuanceo f a widely held opinion that lazy people are themost prolific inventors

,this small squalus has

evolved an arrangemen t o n the top o f his headwhereby he can attach himself to any floatingbody and be carried along without effort o n hispart. All the functions are easily performedduring attachment

,and nothing short o f doing


damage to the fish will dislodge him . It is fairlywell known that the Chinese and East Africanfolk have utilised the Remora for catching turtle ina most ingenious way . More energetic than anyother sharks are the saw-fish

,whose snouts are

prolonged into a broad blade of cartilage,which is

horizontal when the fish is swimming in a normalposition

,and has both its edges set with Slightly

curved teeth about an inch apart . The end ofthis formidable - looking weapon is blunt andcomparatively soft

,so that it is quite incapable of

the feats popularly attributed to it o f piercingwhales’ bodies

,ships ’ timbers

,etc . It attacks

other fish by a swift lateral thrust o f the saw

beneath them,the keen edge disembowelling them .

Then it feeds upon the soft entrails,which are

apparently the only food it can eat,from the

peculiar shape of its mouth . It has an enormousnumber o f small teeth

,sometimes as many as

fifty rows in o n e individual,but they are evidently

unfit for the rough duties required of teeth by thegarbage- eating members of the family .

Another peculiarity which differentiates theSgualia

’ee from all other fish

,and would seem to

link them with the mammalia,is the way in which

they produce their young . But here arise suchdiversities as to puzzle the student greatly ; forsome sharks are Viviparous

,bearing fifteen sharklets

at once,that play about the mother in the liveliest

manner,and are cared for by her with the utmost

solicitude . At the approach o f danger they all


some of the sharks with which those watersabounded

,but none were successful

,for they

carefully avoided all bait attached to lines strongenough to hold them . And the well-known habitof the “ thresher ” shark (Alopecias vulpes) , ofhunting with the killer-whale (Orca gladiator) ,assisting these furies to destroy a whale andafterwards amicably dividing the spoil with them

,

has been enlarged upon many times . Its absolutecertainty does n o t admit o f a doubt .

XV I I

FLY ING F I SH CAT CH ING ATBARBADO S

AMON G the many divers methods o f garneringthe harvest of the sea

,o ne of the most interesting

and peculiar is the Exocetus fishery Of Barbados .Notwithstanding the incredible numbers o fFlyingfish (Exo cetus volitans) that crowd every tropicalsea

,Barbados is the only place where a systematic

fishery of them has ever been established for commercial purposes . This is the more strange whenthe ease with which they may be taken

,and the

pleasant condition s under which the fishery iscarried o n

,is considered

,while the succulent deli

cacy of the fish is certainly a thing to remember .Familiar as the appearance o f these wonderful littlecreatures is to ocean travellers

,very little is gener

ally known with regard to their habits,haunts

,and

mode of life . They are usually the recipients o f

much misspent pity . Relentlessly pursued by thealbacore

,bonito

,and dolphin

,they seek the air in

shoals,only to be gaily annexed by hovering birds

,

o r to fall gasping upon the deck o f some passing


ship . Their fate seems a hard o ne ; but whopities their prey ? They in their turn pursueas relentlessly and persecute as ruthlessly thesmaller fish ; and so the balance is held as trulyas nature ever holds it where man does notinterfere .The most common and widely distributed

variety o f the flying-fish is E. volitans,whose

range is world—wide between the limits . o f aboutthirty-five degrees north and thirty degrees south

,

though they are most plentifully found within thetropics . They are usually from six to twelve inchesin length

,body nearly quadrangular

,colour o f the

head and back blue,abdomen silvery

,lower lobe

Of the tail o ne—half longer than the upper . Somehave no teeth

,while others are well furnished ;

and naturalists are unable to agree as to whetherthey are different varieties

,as they are in all other

respects identical . The pectoral fins,o r wings as

they might well be called,are nearly as long as

the fish,folding neatly and compactly into the

sides o f the body while the fish is in the water .The ventral fins are small in this species

,and do

n o t appear to be used as wings,merely serving

to balance and guide the fish in the air . A verycommon error made in natural h istories wherethis fish is mentioned is in the statement that itdoes not fly .

“ Its supposed flight is nothing morethan a prolonged leap ; it cannot deviate froma straight line

,and cannot rise a second time

without entering the water . This,briefly, is the


the air- cells within the bones o f birds,and have

the additional advantage of being voluntary intheir action .

The only other species o f flying—fish which issufficiently distinct to call for notice is E .

nigricans , locally known as Guineamen .

’ Theyoften exceed eighteen inches in length

,and weigh

two o r three pounds . In these the ventral finsare also very large

,giving the fish the appearance

o f a huge dragon-fly as it darts through the lucentair. The markings o f the body are black insteadof blue

,while the fins are black with a transverse

band Of s ilver .Another strange thing about the natural his

tories that I have been able to consult is thatno idea seems to be formed o f where and howthese fish spawn . Being met with all over theocean

,where its profound depth precludes all

idea of their Visiting the bottom,the locality o f

their breeding - places has puzzled the savants .There can

,however

,be no doubt that they deposit

their ova in the massive banks o f Sargasso

hacciferuin ,o r Gulf-weed

,which is met with in

such vast quantities as to impede a vessel ’s progress through it. Through the pleasant grovesand avenues o f these floating forests

,the young

fry in millions disport in comparative security,

while finding abundant food among the myriadlower forms o f life that abound there . Of course

,

this remark can only apply to the Atlantic . Nothaving had opportunities enough of observation

,

Flying—fish Catching 1 3 5

I am unable to saywhere they spawn in the otheroceans they frequent . On the coral reefs of theLeeward Islands and the sandy cays o f theCaribbean Sea, I have often amused myself bycatching the young fry thrown up with piles o f

Gulf-weed o n the beach,and seen masses of the

spawn,like huge bunches o f white currants

,

entangled among its close-knit fronds .Barbados

,si tuated in the heart o f the north

east Trades,is one of the favourite haunts of the

flying—fish . Its steep shore- lines afford the bluedepths which the flying-fish loves

,and permit it

to range very near to land . Thus the fishermenrarely go more than ten o r twelve miles fromhome . When this industry was first commencedby the Barbadians

,or what led to its establishment

,

I have been unable to d iscover ; but it certainlyhas been for many years the mainstay o f a largepart of the population

,and the source whence the

most popular food known o n the island is derived .

There are (or were) about two hundred boatsengaged in the fishery . Nowise notable for graceo f form or elegance o f rig , they are substantialundecked vessels

,o f from five to fifteen tons

capacity,bu ilt in the roughest manner

,and fur

n ished in the most prim itive way . The motivepower is a gaff—mainsail and j ib

,and a couple o f

sweeps for calms . They are painted a light blue ,as nearly approaching the hue o f the sea as maybe

,and every care i s taken to make them noiseless .The fleet leaves the canash (harbour) before

1 3 6 Idylls o f the Sea

daybreak,each skipper taking his own bearings

,

and making fo r the spot which he thinks willfurnish the best results . As the gorgeous trop icaldawn awakes

,the boats’ peaks are drooped

,luffs

o f sails are hauled up,and the fishermen get to

business . The tackle used is of the Simplest kind .

A wooden hoop three feet in diameter,to which

is attached a shallow net with inch meshes ; abucketful o f— well

,not to put too fine a point

o n it— stinking fish ; a few good lines and hooks,and a set o f granes

,form the complete lay- out .

The fishermen are of all shades,from a deep rich

ebony upwards,by fine gradations

,to the cadaver

o us white so common in the island . Their simplefishing costume is usually one sole garmentthe humble flour or potato sack o f commerce

,

with holes cut in the bottom and Sides,through

which to thrust head and arms .As soon as the boat is hove—to and her way

stopped , the usual exuberant spirits and h ilariouslaughter are put and kept under strong restraint

,

for a single sound will often scare away all fishin the vicinity

,and no more be seen that day .

The fisherman leans far over the boat’s side,

holding the hoop diagonally in o ne hand . Theother hand

,holding o ne of the malodorous fish

before mentioned,is d ipped into the sea

,and the

bait squeezed into minute fragments . Thisanswers a double purpose —it attracts the fish ;and the exuding o il forms a “ sleek ” o r glassysurface all around

,through which one can see


very poor sport with the flying-fish,only taking

about five hundred by noon . Suddenly the fewthat had been feeding qu ietly around us fled in alldirection s

,breaking the water with a sound l ike a

sudden rain - storm,and we were aware o f the

presence o f a huge albacore . The skipper shoutedgleefully By king

,sah

,him de bigges’ albacore

in de who l’ He certainly was a monsterbut there was little time to admire his proportions .He promptly seized o ur bait ; and the fun commenced. For over an hour this giant mackereltowed us where he would ; and when for amoment the pace slackened and we touched theline

,he was o ff again as hard as ever . Right

through the fleet he towed us,and finally yielded

to o ur united efforts 1n the middle o fCarlisle Bay ,amongst the shipping . We could n o t hoist himon board

,and so had recourse to the expedient o f

passing a double bight o f the line round his tailand towing him into the harbour . Great was theexcitement o n the quay

,and willing hands not a

few worked the crane wherewith we lifted him .

He scaled four hundred and seventy pounds,the

heaviest albacore on record in Barbados . Peddledaround the town

,he realised a much larger sum

than a boat- load o f flying-fish would have done ;

and so the sable skipper was well content with hismorning ’s work .

XV I I I

UN CONVENT I ONAL F I SH ING

ENTH U S IA ST I C anglers have,I believe

,been heard

to declare with emphasis that they would rathercatch no fish at all than return with a full creelinveigled in an unsportsman like way . Ofcourse

,ideas o fwhat constitutes sport vary almost

with the individual,since like the rubric— (with

red edges,please)— sporting canons are susceptible

of private interpretation . But if the ultimateobject o f fishing be the gratification o f catchingfish

,my stupidity baulks at the notion of an angler

,

enthusiastic o r stolid,preferring to be unsuccessful

rather than to succeed by the excercise o f a l ittlepersonal ingenuity

,whether it be unconventional

o r canonical . What can be more pathetic, forinstance

,than to see a perfectly- equipped sports

man,whose outfit has made a terr ible hole in a

J£20 note, watching with simulated indifferenceoutwardly

,but black envy clawing his liver

,some.

grimy urchin with string and stick grassing fishafter fish

,while he is unable to get a rise ?

Perhaps,however

,my point o f View is unfair

,


because one—sided . For while i t has manyhundreds o f times been my lot to either catchsome fish o r go without a meal

,which certainly

quickened my interest in the sport,I have seldom

had the pleasure o f fishing merely for amusement .Although never a professional fisherman

,and

therefore a hater o f nets as reducing the j oy o r

success to the level o f scavenging,I have from a

very early age,‘ and in nearly every part o f the

world washed by the sea,taken a hand at fishing

from deep personal motives,and always o n

unconvention al lines .My first introduction to the stern delights o f

sea—fishing was in a Jamaican harbour when I wasthirteen years o ld. Having been shipwrecked Iwas fo r the time by way o f being a juvenile beachcomber

,but I had plenty of good—natured darky

chums . Four of them took me o ut o ne day intheir canoe barracouta—fishing. Now this fish is asort of sea—pike which sometimes reaches four feetin length

,and for his fierceness is more dreaded

in the West Indies by bathers than the muchmaligned shark . His principal food is small fish

,

although he is n o t dainty . In order to imitate asnearly as possible the flight of his usual prey

,it is

customary for four darkies to man a canoe,get well

o ut to sea during the early morning calm,and then

paddle furiously fo r a few hundred yards at a time,

towing a small mackerel at the end o f a stout line .

On this occasion I held the line . I thought itglorious fun ; but suddenly I saw a bar o f silver


with which he was fli cking the water was a flyingfish. Naturally

,I burned to Show that I could

succeed,and no sooner had he come in to take the

sun than I was o ut along the boom like a ratto take his place . There was a fresh breezeblowing

,and as the ship heeled and plunged the

line blew far away to leeward in a graceful curvewhich only permitted the rag to touch the wavetops occasionally . I trembled so with excitementthat I could not have kept my perch

,but that my

legs were j ammed in between the j ib guys and theboom . I had not been there more than fiveminutes when a splendid fish sprang twenty feetinto the air and swallowed my bait o n the wing .

I hauled for dear life,scarcely daring to look

below where my pr ize hung dangling,a weight

I could only just manage to pull up . But Isucceeded at last

,and grabbed him to my panting

breast . There wasn ’t time to get scared at thecontract I had on my hands ; I just hung onwhile his tremendous Vibrations benumbed my bodyso that I could not even feel that he was actuallychafing all the skin o ff my ribs . At last

,feeling

my strength almost gone,I plunged him into the

folds o f the flying-j ib,which was furled o n the

boom,and laid o n him . In this way I succeeded

in overcoming h is reluctance to stay with me, andeventually I bore him o n board in triumph

,not

even dashed by the effective ropes-ending I go tfor soaking the j ib in blood from head to tack .

After that memorable capture I was Simply crazed

! nconventional F ish ing 14 3

with fishing . Even in calms , when predatoryfish such as dolphin

,barracouta

,bonito

,o r

albacore hang around listlessly and are consideredquite uncatchable by seamen generally

,I have

managed to deceive them and obtain that greatdesideratum

,a fresh mess for all hands . But

coming home round the Cape , when in the strengtho f the Agulhas current, the wind failed , and themate got o ut the deep—sea lead- line . In orthodoxfashion we passed it forrard and dropped the longplummet into the ‘dark depths

,with two or three

stout hooks,baited with lumps of fat pork

,

fastened to it . When we hauled it in each hookwas burdened with a magnificent co d

,and a scene

o f wild excitement ensued All the watchimprovised tackle of some kind— a p iece o f

hambro’ line,a marlinespike fo r sinker

,and o ne

hook was the usual o utfit— and in a couple ofhours the deck was like B illingsgate . All sortsand cond itions o f fish apparently lived down there

,

and all most accommodating in their appetite .In Manila Bay the natives taught me how to

catch a delicious fish like a more symmetricalJohn Dory

,with a most delicate l ine o f twisted

grass and a tiny hook . The bait was rice,boiled

to a paste ; and so successful was I that all handsenjoyed a hearty supper o f fish every evening

,

being the only crew in the harbour where sucha thing was known . On that passage home

,

however, I caught a Tartar . I was fishing o ff

the boom fo r bonito,when suddenly the school


closed up into a compact body and fled . Ithought it strange

,but went o n playing my bait .

Suddenly out o f the cool shade beneath the shiprushed an albacore

,grabbing my bait before I had

time to lift it o ut o fhis way . He wasn ’t very largefor his kind

,but my gracious

,he was all I wanted .

I actually tried to haul him up at . first,but I

couldn ’t begin to lift him ; so I was fain to playhim until we were both exhausted . He waseventually secured at last by the simple expediento f lowering a man overside who slipped a bowlineround him

,by which he was hoisted o n board .

He weighed 120 lb.,but seemed as strong as a

buffalo . Some years after, when out flying—fishingin Barbados o ne morning

,we hooked an albacore

that towed o ur boat,a 5 —tonner , for over six

miles before he gave in . We towed him alongsideinto the carenage and had h im hoisted o n tothe wharf by a crane . He weighed 470 lb . Thealbacore is almost

,if not quite

,identical with the

tunny o f the Mediterranean and the tuna o f

California,and anybody who thirsts for greater

sport than the noblest salmon can give,o r even

the magnificent tarpon,Should try what the tuna

can do for them .

But o f all the queer fish I ever caught,o ne

that I came across in Tonala River, Mexico, wasthe strangest. It was just inside the bar

,and I

had been sailing the boat smartly to and fro,

catching a kind of caranx that loves a fleetingsilvery bait . Sport becoming quiet

,and wind

X IX

DEV IL - F I SH

AMONG such primitive peoples as still survive,no t

the least curious o r notable trait which universallyobtains is the manner in which all things uncanny

,

o r which they are unable to comprehend,are by

common consent ascribed to the Devil . No t to

a devil as o ne o f a host,but theDevilpar excellence,

as though they understood him to be definableonly as the master and originator o f whatsoeverthings are terrifying

,incomprehensible

,o r cruel .

Many eminent writers have cop iously enriched o ur

literature by their researches into this all—prevailingpeculiarity

,so that the subject has

,o n the whole

,

been well threshed o ut,and it is merely alluded

to en passant as o n e of the chief reasons fo r theepithet which forms the title o f this chapter .Now it will doubtless be readily admitted that

sea—folk retain,even among highly civilised nations

,

their old-world habits o f thought and expressionlonger than any other branch o f the population .

This can scarcely be wondered at,since to all o f

us,even the least imaginative

,the eternal mystery

Devil—fish I 47

o f the ocean appeals with thrilling and ever- fresheffect every time that we come into close personalrelations with it .But when those whose daily bread depends

upon their constant struggle with the mightymarine forces

,who are familiar with so many of

its marvels,and saturated with the awe—insp iring

solemnity which is the chief characteristic o f thesea

,are in the course o f their avocations brought

suddenly in contact with some seldom—seen Visitoro fhorrent aspect arising from the gloomy unknowndepths

,with one accord they speak o f the monster

as a devil-fish,

” and the n ame never fails to adhere .So that there is , not o ne species o f devil—fish

,

but several,each peculiar to some different part of

the world,and inspiring its own special terror in

the hearts of mariners o f many nations . Of theDevil-fish that we in this country hear most about,and have indelibly portrayed fo r us by Victor Hugo

,

the octopus,so much has been written and said

that it is n o t necessary n ow to do much more thanmake passing allusion to the family . But theCephalopoda embrace so vast a variety that it seemshardly fair to single out o f them all the comparatively harmless octopus fo r opprobrium

,while

leaving severely unmentioned the gigantic onycho

teuthis o f the deep sea,to say nothing o f many

intermediate cuttle—fish . From the enormousmollusc just mentioned— which is

,n o t unreason

ably,cred ited by seamen with being the largest

fish in the ocean— to the tiny loligo , upon which


nearly all deep-water fish feed,hideousness is their

prevailing feature,and truly appalling o f aspect

some of the larger ones are,while their omnivorous

voracity makes them veritable sea- scavengers,to

whom nothing comes amiss,alive o r dead . And

while having no intention to underrate the Claimso f the octopus to his diabolical praenomen o n

account o f his slimy ugliness and unquenchableferocity

,I feel constrained to put in a word fo r

that little—known horror o f the deep,the ten

armed cuttle-fish,which

,like some fearful creation

o f a diseased brain,broods over the dark and

silent profundities o f ocean, extending his farreaching tentacles through an immense area

,touch

ing nothing living to which they do not cling withan embrace that never relaxes until the Victim issafely deposited within the crushing clutch o f thegreat parrot—like mandibles guarding the entranceto that vast and never - to - be satisfied stomach .

Nothing that the morbid imagination of man hasever pictured can surpass in awful appearance thereality o fthis dire chimmra

,which

,notwithstanding

,

has undoubtedly an important part to play in themysterious economy o f the sea. He dwelleth inthe thick darkness ” ; for, not content with thenatural gloom of his abode

,he diffuses around

him a cloud o f sepia,which bewilders and blinds

his Victims,rendering them an easy prey to the

never- resting tentacles which writhe through themirk

,ready at a touch to hold whatever is there

,

be it small or great .


the watch for fish . A gloomy shade came overthe bright water

,and up rose a fearsome monster

some eighteen feet across,and in general outline

more like a skate or ray than anything else,all

except the head . There,what appeared to be two

curling horns about three feet apart rose o ne o n

each side o f the most horrible pair of eyesimaginable . A shark’s eyes as he turns sidewaysunder your vessel ’s counter and looks up to see ifany o ne is coming are ghastly

,green

,and cruel

but this thing’s eyes were all these and much more .I felt that the Book o f Revelation was incompletewithout him

,and his gaze haunts me yet .

Although quite sick and giddy at the sight o f

such a bogey,I could not move until the awful

thing,suddenly waving what seemed like mighty

wings,soared up out of the water soundlessly to a

height of about six feet,falling again with a

thunderous splash that might have been heard formiles . I must have fainted with fright

,for the

next thing I was conscious o fwas awakening underthe rough doctor ing of my shipmates . Since thenI have never seen o ne leap

,

upward in the daytime .At night

,when there is no wind

,the sonorous

splash is constantly to be heard,although why they

make that bat—like leap o ut of their proper elementis not easy to understand . It does not seempossible to believe such awe - inspiring horrorscapable o f playful gambolling .

At another time,while mate of a barque loading

in the Tonala River,one of the Mexican mahogany

Devil—fish I 5 1

ports,I was fishing o ne evening from the vessel ’s

deck with a very stout line and hook for largefish .

A prowling devil-fish picked up my bait,and

feeling the hook,as I suppose

,sprang o ut o fwater

with it . I am almost ashamed to say that I madeno attempt to secure the thing

,which was a

comparatively small specimen , but allowed it toamuse itself

,until

,to my great relief

,the hook

broke,and I recovered the use of my line

,my

evening ’s sport quite spoiled .

These ugly monsters have as yet no commercialvalue

,although from their vast extent o f flat

surface they might be found worthy o f attentionfor their skin s

,which should make very excellent

shagreen . A closer acquaintance with them wouldalso most probably divest them of much o f theterror in which they are held at present .Another widely known and feared devil-fish has

its headquarters in the Northern Pacific,mostly

alon the American coast,especially affecting the

Gulf of California . This huge creature is amammal

,one o f the great whale family

,really a

rorqual o f medium size and moderate yield of oil .Like the rest o f this much—detested and shunned(by whalers) branch o f the Cetacea

,it carries but

a tiny fringe o f valueless whalebone,and there

fore,as compared with the sperm and “ right ”

whales,its value is small . Yet at certain seasons

o f the year the American whaleships often think itworth their while to spend a month o r so bay

1 5 2 Idyll s of the Sea

whaling in some qu iet inlet unknown to,and un

cared for by,the bustl ing merchantman .

In these secluded spots the Cal iforn ia devil-fish,

mussel- digger,grey—back

,and several other al iases

not fit for publi cation , but all Showing how theobject of them is esteemed by his neighbours

,may

sometimes be taken at a disadvantage,the cows

languid just before or after parturition,and the

bulls who escort them too intent upon their lovesto be as wily as is their wont .But only the elite of the Yankee whalemen

,

dexterous and daring as are all the tribe,can hope

to get to windward o f the diabol ically cunninggiants whom they abuse w ith such fluent andfrequent flow of p icturesque profan ity . It is apeculiar characteristic o f this animal that it seemsever o n the alert

,scarcely exposing for o ne moment

its broad back above the sea-surface when rising tospout

,and generally travell ing

,unl ike all its

congeners,not upon

,but a few feet below

,the

water . For th is reaso n ,

'

and in this fishery alone,

the whalers arm themselves with iron—shaftedharpoons

,in order to strike w ith greater force and

certainty o fdirection a whale some distance beneaththe surface . A standing order

,to o , among them

is n ever by any chance to injure a calf while themother l ives

,since such an act exposes all and

sundry near the spot to imminent and Violentdeath .

Neglect o f this most necessary precaution, o r

more probably accident,once brought about a


ver itable demon of destruction,and

,while carefully

avoid ing exposure of her body to attack,simply

spread devastation among the flotilla . Whenevershe rose to the surface

,it was but for a second

,to

emit an exp iration l ike the h iss o f a lifting safetyvalve

,and almost always to destroy a boat or

complete the destruction of one already hopelesslydamaged .

Every blow was dealt with an accuracy andappearance of premeditation that filled the superstitious Portuguese, who formed a good half of thecrews

,with dismay— the more so that many o f

them could only guess at the orig inal cause o fwhatwas really going on . The speed o f the monsterwas so great

,that her almost s imultaneous appear

ance at points widely separated made her seemubiquitous ; and as she gave no chance whateverfor a blow

,it certainly looked as if all the boats

would be destroyed seriatim. Not content withdealing one tremendous " blow at a boat and redueing it at once to a bundle of loose boards

,she re

newed her atten tio n s'

again and again to the wreckage

,as if determined that the destruction Should

be complete .Utter demoralisation had seized even the

veterans,and escape was the only thought govern

ing all action . But the distance to shore was great,

and the persistence and vigour of the furiousleviathan

,so far from diminishing

,seemed to

increase as the terrible work went o n . At last twoboats did succeed in reaching the beach at a point

Devil—fish 1 5 5

where it sloped very gradually . The crews hadhardly leaped overboard

,to run their craft up

high and dry,when close behind them in the

shallows foamed and rolled their relentless enemy,

just too late to reach them . Out of the largenumber o f well- equipped boats that left the shipsthat morning

,only these two escaped undamaged

,

and the loss o f the season’s work was irremediable .Over fifty men were badly injured

,and six

,one of

whom was the unhappy origin o f the whole trouble,

were killed outright . The triumphant avenger o fher slain offspring disappeared as silently as she

had carried o n her deadly warfare,as far as could

be known unhurt,and with an accumulated hoard

of experience that would,if possible

,render her

more o f a devil to any unsuspecting whalemenwho should hereafter have the misfortune to meetwith and attack her than she had proved herself tobe already .

Dejected and crippled,the fleet lost no time in

getting away from the spot and fleeing north toSan Francisco

,there to refit for other and more

profitable fishing grounds .There are a great many ower—true tales told

o f the prowess of this wily creature, but theselection that I have made will doubtless suffi cefor a fair specimen o f what the California devilfish is capable o fwhen opportunity arises .The volatile and tuneful negroes o f the West

India islands have their own peculiar devil-fish,

”

but in this case there is nothing diabolical in the


appearance o r vast in the size of the creature . Itis

,indeed

,a very well—known fish in most tropical

waters,and must from its habits and appearance

be closely allied to the hake and pike . Amongseamen generally it is well known as the barracouta

,

and is especially plentiful around the New Zealandcoast

,where a few hours o f the peculiar fishing

practised by the Maories will generally reward thefisherman with a gross o r so o f fish averaging 10

to 12 lb . each .

It is among the Leeward Islands,however

,that

the barracouta attains his largest dimensions,and

has inspired the fishermen and ‘ bo atmen with suchdread o f him that

,while they hold the universally

feared shark in supreme contempt,the mere

rumour o f a devil—fish anywhere in their vicinitywill bring every nigger within hail scrambling o ut

of the water in double—quick time .Whether rightly or wrongly

,I have never been

able to ascertain by personal observation,but un

doubtedly the fact is that the barracouta is creditedwith an infernal propensity for inflicting a namelessmutilation upon any human being unfortunateenough to get within reach o f him . He is longand narrow

,blue-black above

,with a silvery-grey

belly,and swift as an arrow . His lower j aw is

considerably longer than the upper,and both are

armed with teeth,almost exactly like those o f a

dog . From this configuration o f the j aws it isunnecessary fo r the barracouta to turn o n its back

,

like the shark,when he comes for you . Silent

,


equally simple—minded seamen in bestowing uponthe creatures o f their dread a name which to themembodies all they are able to con ceive of pitilesscruelty

,unquenchable ferocity

,and unmatchable

cunn Ing.

OF TU RTLE

BY popular consent the rash act of the daringman who first devoured an oyster has been greatlyextolled

,but what meed o f praise should be

awarded to that d im and d istant discoverer whofirst essayed to break into and devour the flesh o f

the armour- clad tortoise o r turtle ? All unarmedas he doubtless must have been

,except for spear o f

ch ipped fl int o r charred stick , the mere entry with inthe downs o fthe reptile

,even by way o f the leathery

neck or flank,must

'

have been no easy feat .But

,once having tasted such good meat

,how

rapidly the news must have been spread by o ur

friend ! Here was a banquet indeed , ready to

hand,for the acqu isit ion of which none o f the

ord inary attributes o f the chase were needed .

Speed,courage

,endurance

,cunning

,all could be

dispensed with,wh ile even the most unenl ightened

salvage-man would hardly need the informationthat it were wise to avoid the front end o f thesluggish creature

,w ith its terrible j aws of keen

edged shell .


Since those far- o ff days mankind has beenfaithful in its love for the genus Testuclo , whetherterrestrial o r marine , wherever edible membersof it could be obtained ; but when and why theconsumption of turtle—soup became with us asynonym for the h ighest luxury in the way offood

,and indissolubly associated with the royal

hosp ital ity of the Lord Mayor,is indeed a ques

tion to be answered . One may be permitted tosuppose that

,during the reign of some more than

usually gifted cora’on hleu, the grand discovery

was made that the peculiar flesh of this succulentreptile lent itself most amicably and gelatinouslyto the wonderful d isguise with which it is investedere it becomes the dream of the epicure . Thepages of ancient Latin writers abound with descriptions

,not only of strange foods

,but stranger

modes o f preparing them for the table,the mere

recital of which to - day is often sufficient toeffectually banish appetite . Among these earlyrecipes are many for deal ing with the flesh of bothland and sea tortoises . Accord ing to their l ightthose ancient cooks excelled in curious ways ofdressing turtle

,or rather disgu ising it

,for it must

be confessed that turtle - steak au naturel is notof that exquisite flavour to appeal to the palatel ike a plain beefsteak or mutton- chop . Good

,

wholesome,and tender as it undoubtedly is

,it

tastes more like veal with a nuance of fish thananything else in the best kinds while many turtles

,

from feeding upon cuttle—fish,have a decidedly


with its strange contents,down o n the poop and

stalked forward again,followed by h is scowl ing

sh ipmates . I am bound to admit that there wasl ittle room for wonder that Jack on this occasionpreferred salt horse to boiled turtle .But this is by the way . Of terrestrial Chelones

there is an immense variety distributed over almostthe whole land surface of the globe where themean annual temperature does not fall belowThe flesh of these reptiles is

,with few exceptions ,

notably that of the American Terrap in,very l ightly

esteemed by c ivil ised peoples,and in some species

h ighly poisonous . A very strange fact concerningland tortoises is the presence of the largest memberso f the family upon such widely separated and inhosp itable spots as Aldabra and Agalegas Islandsin the Ind ian Ocean

,and the Galapagos group in

the South Pacific . In these lonely islets— forthey are hardly more— enormous specimens ofthese strange reptiles crawl sluggishly about

,

grazing upon the scanty herbage,secure from all

enemies except man,and apparently gifted with

incredible longevity . As far as natural decay isconcerned

,they would certainly appear to be

unaffected by the flight of time,although one

need not bel ieve unless he wants to the story ofthe sailor of one upon whose shell he saw carvedthe legend

,The Ark— Captain Noah ; Ararat ,

for orders . ’ The Galapagans eat them duringscarcity of other foo d

,but do not hanker after

them as regular diet . They do,however, prize

Of Turtle 1 6 3

the fat o il which some of these reptiles possess ingreat abundance

,and whenever they catch o ne

and do not need its flesh,they cut a sl it in the

leathery skin between the upper and lower shellsnear the tail and take a peep within . If thevictim be not fat enough for their purpose theyrelease him

,and he shuffies o ff apparently quite

unaffected by this rough surgery . Indeed,such is

the incredible vitality o f these reptiles that theyhave been known to l ive fo r six months afterhaving their brains entirely removed, and oneexisted for twenty—three days after its head hadbeen cut o ff.

Redi,the well - known Italian surgeon

,who

made these apparently useless experiments,states

that,upon opening the body of the last—mentioned

tortoise,on the twenty- third day he saw the triple

heart beating,and the blood entering and leaving

it . What he hoped to establ ish by such crueldoings is not stated by him .

Varieties o f land tortoises are exceedingly numero us

,and embrace some very peculiar forms

,

notably the Eniysaura serpentina, which is a kindo f compromise between a lizard and a torto ise

,

l ives in and around Oriental lakes and rivers, andfeeds indiscriminately upon small fish

,reptiles

,

and birds . The Cheloa’ina Nome Hollana’ice o f

Australia,with its long snake- like neck and wide

gaping jaws the Chelys matamata, loving stagnantpools

,and adorned about the head and neck with

sprouting fringes l ike bunches o f rootlets,giving


it a most uncanny appearance ; and the Gymnopuso f African rivers , which feeds upon young crocodiles , and whose flesh is nevertheless most delicateand highly prized

,and many others

,furnish a

most interesting study,but n o t strictly germane to

o ur subject,which is turtle— the Thalassians o r

oceanic tortoises,from which alone o ur supplies

are drawn .

Among marine tortoises or turtles there isvastly less variety than among their congeners o fthe land . Sir Richard Owen decided that onlyfive well-defined species are known to exist at thepresent day

,although the fo ssil remains of true

turtles show that a much greater range o f thesevarieties existed in prehistoric times . The pr incipaldifference between tortoise and turtle is the shapeo f the paws

,which in the land varieties are always

armed with claws,and have a strong likeness to

the legs o f a lizard . In the turtles these clawedfeet become flippers

,almost fins

,wonderfully

adapted for swimming purposes,but rendering the

turtle when on land more helpless and clumsy inhis locomotion than even a seal .Turtles are true amphibians

,although

,owing to

the extent and volume o f their arbitrary lungs,

and perhaps also to their general sluggishness o fhabit

,they can and do remain under water for a

longer time than any other amphibian,with the

exception,perhaps

,of the crocodile . But

,like the

saurian just mentioned,it is imperative that they

leave the sea periodically for the purpose o f laying


the Bay of Campeche . The vessel became a totalwreck

,and we escaped to the islet

,finding it bare

o f everything but an immense number o f boobiesand frigate-birds

,the beach being covered with the

eggs of the former,and the rocks plentifully

besprinkled with the eggs o f the latter . The firstnight of o ur stay I was taking a lonely stroll alongthe beach— the whole circuit o f the isle could bemade under an hour— when I saw a light cloud ofsand rising from the smooth white plain just aheado f me . At first the idea o f an inrush of the seaoccurred to me ; but going carefully nearer, Isaw an immense black centre to the misty spot,apparently digging furiously . Hurrying back tocamp

,I gave the alarm

,and three o f the men

accompanied me back . Without any difficultythey managed to secure the creature

,which was an

enormous turtle weighing not less than 1 800 lb .

It was rather a tough job turning her over,but

once o n her broad back she was helpless,and was

speedily towed to camp . Next morning at daybreak she was butchered

,and more than eight

hundred eggs,o f which only thirteen were with

shells,were taken from her ovary . The carapace

was so large that it made me a good bath . Themeat was all removed and hung up

,only the head

and tail being left attached to the shell . Late thatafternoon a young Dane

,in some foolish freak or

another,must needs go and introduce two o f his

fingers into the open mouth o f the apparentlydead head . Like the action o f an iron- shearing

Of Turtle 1 67

press the j aws closed,taking o ff the two fingers as

clean as possible . Then another man essayed tocut o ff the tail

,but as soon as the knife entered

the skin the tail curled up and gripped the blade,

and it was nearly an hour before he could withdraw it . So that their vitality must be little

,if

any,inferior to that of the land tortoiseOne of the most favoured spots frequented by

turtle is,o r used to be

,the desolate island o f

Ascension in the South Atlantic,a barren volcanic

patch belonging to Britain,and

,because used

exclusively as a naval depot,entered upon the

books of the Admiralty as one o f Her Majesty’sships . An enormous number of turtle were annually “ turned ” there

,and preserved in a small

lagoon from shipment to shipment . It was mypleasant privilege to assist at one o f these turnings

,

and I bear a very vivid recollection o f the game .Crouched low behind an immense boulder one evening about eight o ’clock

,we could hear a hollow

reverberating murmur o f the mighty surf outside,

suggesting Sleepily irresistible force . A dazzlingwreath o f snowy foam

,gleaming like burnished

silver,fringed the quiet stretch of glittering sand

,

which,gently sloping upward and landward

,was

bounded by gloomy bastions o f black lava .Beyond that shin ing semicircle o f glowing whitelay the sombre blue- black bosom of the quietlittle bay

,now heaving gently as that of a sleeping

child . Hither and thither,threading its mysterious

depths,glided spectrally broad tracks o f greenish


light,vivid

,yet ever brightening and fading

,as if

o f living flame . Presently there emerged fromthe retreating smother o f spume a creeping something o f no very definite shape

,under the glamour

o f the molten moonlight, but making an o dd

shufliing progress inland , and becoming more recognisable as it rose . Another

,and yet another

,

and still more arrived as the shining tracks converged shorewards . At last the dark shapes camenear enough for a novice to know them for turtle .Soon the first—comers reached their limit

,and

began the work for which they were here . Eachmassive reptile

,by an indescribable motion o f its

fore—flippers , delved into the yielding grit, throwing the spoil behind it and upward withal untili t was enveloped in a misty halo o f Shining sand .

Then the whole beach was al ive with the to ilingChelones and their male attendants

,who shuffied

about,emitting curious noises

,but whether o f

encouragement o r affection this deponent sayethnot .D ivers of them came from far— so far that

none who have not witnessed the swift cleaving o f

their true element by these ungainly monsterscould believe how the wide sweep o f those eagerflippers devours the fleeting leagues . In a shorttime many o f the delving turtles had sunk belowthe level o f the surrounding sand

,while some had

ceased their digging and commenced to deposittheir eggs . Suddenly we rushed upon them

,and

for some minutes the swarming beach was appar


Very few sailors are— the result is usually a burstof angry jeers from disappointed shipmates

,and a

few eddying swirls o n the surface whence theawakened turtle has fled in amazement .Another way practised most successfully by the

amphibious Kanakas of Polynesia is to slip noiselessly into the water

,and

,diving beneath the

turtle,grasp the hind flippers with crossed hands .

One swift and dexterous twist places the prize o nhis back

,in which helpless position he is kept

with ease upon the surface until the canoe arrivesand he is transferred to it . Among the coralreefs o f the Friendly Islands turtle - fishing is ahighly favoured form of sport

,and when the

reptiles are surprised among the tortuous shallowchannels between the reefs or in the almost landlocked lagoons

,they rarely escape . Here it is

usual for the fisherman to spring upon the turtle’sback

,and

,clutching the fore edge of the shell

with both hands,to hang on until his prize is

exhausted and speedily brought to the surface .1But o f all the fashions of securing this much

hunted creature,that followed by the ingenious

fisher- folk of the Chinese littoral bears away thepalm . Most voyagers in tropical seas are ac

quain ted with a peculiar fish,E . remora, known

generally by the trivial name o f “ sucker . Thed istinguishing characteristic o f this fish is lazi

1 But the turt le can by n o mean s he kept o n the surfaceun ti l i t is exhaus ted . The firs t act o fa hun ted turt le i s toseek the depths .

Of Turtle 171

ness . Unwilling to exert itself overmuch in thepursuit of food

,i t has developed an arrangement

on the back o f its head exactly like the corrugated sole of a tennis shoe

,and as artificial in

appearance as if made and fitted bythe hand o f

man . When the sucker finds itself In the vicinityof any large floating body

,such as a ship

,a Shark

,

o r a piece o f flotsam,whose neighbourhood seems

to promise an abundance of food,it attaches

itself firmly thereto by means o f this curious contrivance,

‘ which perm its it to eat,breathe

,and

perform all necessary functions while being carriedabout without any exertion o n its part . It canattach and detach itself instantaneously

,and holds

so firmly that a direct backward pull cannot dislodge it without injury to the fish . The Chinese

,

who have successfully trained the cormorant andthe otter to fish for them

,have taken the remora

in hand with the happiest results . Several goods ized specimens having been caught

,small iron rings

are fitted to their tails,to which are attached long

,

slender,but very strong lin es . Thus equipped

,the

fishermen set o ut,and when a basking turtle is

seen,two or three o f the suckers are slipped over

board . Should they turn and stick to the bottomof the sampan

,they are carefully detached by

being pushed forward with the inevitable bamboo ,and started o n the search again . At last theyattach themselves to the supine turtle . Thenthe fishermen haul in the lines

,against which

gentle suasion the hapless Chelone struggles in


vain . Once o n board the lugger,the useful

remora is detached,and is at once ready for use

again .

The same mode o f catching turtle is followedby the fishermen of the East African coast

,from

Mozambique northward . The coast o fAfr ica haslong been famous for its turtle

,and Pliny tells

o f the Chelo n o phagi o f the Red Sea, a race o f

turtle- eaters,who were able to obtain these crea

tures of so gigantic a size that they could utilisethe carapaces for roofs to their dwellings andboats for their feeble voyages . Strabo also alludesto these people ; but without accusing either ofthese venerable authorities o f exaggeration

,it is

pretty certain that no such enormous specimenso fChelonia are ever met with in these days .Tortoise- shell is well known to be furnished by

the turtle,the best by the Hawk’s B ill variety

,

which supplies the worst flesh,being exceedingly

musky (Chelone imhricata) . The green turtle(Chelonia franche) is most valuable for food ,and attains

,with another well - marked variety

(Spharga Coriacea) , the largest size o f all turtlesknown . This latter has been sometimes taken onthe ‘coast o f Britain

,several o f large size (700 to

800 lb . weight) having been recorded as caughtIn o ur seas .

X X I

HOVELL I NG 1

WHAT particular law of etymology has beenevoked to produce the queer word standing at thehead of this paper I am unable to imag ine . LikeTopsy

,I ’

Spects it growed , but my own privateop inion is that it is the Kentish coast way of pron o un cing the word hovering

,

” since the hovellersare certainly more often occupied in hovering thanin doing anyth ing more satisfactory to themselves .However strange the word may sound in a

landsman ’s ears,it is one of the most famil iar to

British seamen,especially among our coasters

,

although the particular form o f bread - winningthat it is used to designate 1s practically confinedto the Kent and Sussex shores of the Engl ishChannel

,having its headquarters at Deal . Briefly

,

a “ hoveller ” is a boatman who follows none o f1 Wh i ls t thi s reprin t was in the pres s the wri ter received

an ingen ious explan ation o f the word fromMr. Charles Fl eet,an old res iden t o n the Sussex coast . He derives i t from“ Ho viler,

” a sort o f moun ted mi l i tia ra i sed during the

Commonweal th,and so n amed from the “ hovils (lea thern

j ackets) theywore .


the steady orthodox l ines o f boatmanship,such as

fishing,plying for passengers

,etc . , but hovers

around the Channel , a snapper—up o funconsideredtrifles , a p ilot , a wrecker, or if a ghost of a chancepresents itself

,a smuggler .

Naturally,the poor hoveller does not bear the

best of characters . The easy unconventional fito fhis call ing settles that for h im as conclusivelyas the cryptic term general dealer

,

”so often seen

in pol ice—court reports,does a man ’s status ashore

,

but with far less reason . It must be admittedthat he is not over- scrupulous o r prone to regardtoo rigidly the laws of means and tuuin . Theportable property wh ich occasionally finds its wayinto his boat is

,however

,usually ownerless except

for the l ien held by the Crown upon all flotsam,

jetsam,and l igan ; which r ights, all unjust as he

in common with most seafarers consider them tobe

,he can hardly be blamed for ignoring .

But when the worst that can be alleged againstthe character of the hoveller has been said

,a very

large margin of good remains to his credit,good

of wh ich the general publ ic never hears,or hearing

of it,bestows the praise elsewhere .

They are the finest boatmen in the world .

Doubtless th is seems a large claim to make ontheir behalf

,but it is one that will be heartily

endorsed by all who know anything o f the condition o f the Engl ish Channel in winter

,and are

at the same t ime in a position to make comparisons . And it must also be remembered that


eyeballs burn ing with sleeplessness,throughout the

weary hours o f night and day,with every sense

acutely strained and every moment balanced uponthe very scythe- edge of death . Long practicemakes them keen of sight as the wail ing gullsoverhead

,and small indeed must be the floating

obj ect that escapes their unremitting scrutiny .

Homeward-bound sailing ships from overseaports are what they principally lust after Theskippers of these vessels after their long absencefrom home usually feel more or less anxious asthey near the narrows . The Trinity p ilots intheir trim cutters have their cruising grounddefinitely fixed for them by authority

,extending

no further west than Dungeness . But long beforethat well—known point

,with its dazzling spear o f

electric radiance reflected from the gloomy pallo f cloud above

,is reached

,the homeward—bound

skipper’s anxiety becomes almost unbearable iftheweather be thick and he has as yet made no landfall to verify h is position . Then the s uddenappearance o f a hoveller emergmg from the mirkaround

,and his cheery hail

,

“ D ’ye wan t a pilot,

sir?” is heavenly in its relief. For these men

,

although regarded with no small contempt andd isfavour by the aristocracy o fpilotage l icensed bythe Trinity Brethren

,know the Channel as a man

knows the house he has lived in for years,know it

at all times,whether in calm o r storm

,the blackness

o fwinter midnight,the brilliance o f summer noon

,

o r the horrible uncertainty o f enshrouding fog .

Ho velling 179

The hoveller can hardly be blamed if he takefull advantage of the foulness o f the weather todrive as hard a bargain as he can with the skippero f a hesitating homeward- bounder for the hire o fhis invaluable local knowledge . Full well heknows that when the skies are serene and the windis favourable he may tender his services in vain

,

even at the lowest price . No master,in these

days of fierce competition,dare make an entry of

a hoveller’s fee In h is bill of expenses,except under

pressure o f bad weather, o n pain o f being con

sidered unfit for his post,and finding himself

compelled to pay the charge out o f his own scantysalary .

So that fine weather to the hoveller spells emptypocket and hungry belly . The long

,bright days

of stImmer bring to h im no j oy,though thought

less passengers lounging at their ease upon thepromenade deck o f some palatial steamship maythink his lot a lazy

,lotus—eating way of drows ing

through the sunny hours . Neither would theyimagine from his wooden immobility of pose andthe unbending appearance of his rig what fieryenergy he is capable o fdisplaying when opportunityarises .On o ne occasion

,when I was a lad of eighteen

,

we were homeward bound from Luzon to London .

We sighted Corvo dimly through the drivingmist o f a fierce westerly gale

,before which we

bowled along at the rate of 300 miles a day . Fornearly five days we fled thus for home

,seeing


nothing except an occasional dim shape of somevessel fl itting silently past . Not a glimpse o f theheavenly bodies was vouchsafed us whereby to fixo ur position

,nor did we haul up once for a cast of

the deep- sea lead . At last by dead reckoningwe were well up Channel

,but the steady thrust of

the gale never wavered in force or direction . Themist grew denser

,the darkness more profound .

By the various sounds o f foghorns and whistleswe knew that many vessels surrounded us

,and that

it was scarcely less dangerous to heave—to than torun . Presently

,by the narrowest o f shaves

,we

missed running down a light outward boundbarque

,the incident leaving us with yards swinging

every way and a general feeling of uncertainty asto what would happen next. Suddenly o ut o f thegloom to leeward came the hoarse cry

,Want a

pilot,sir It was the sweetest music imaginable .

All eyes were strained in the direction of the vo ice .In a minute o r two the well—known shape o f ahovelling lugger became visible

,under a double

reefed lug,rushing towards us . He rounded to

by o ur lee quarter,and in reply to o ur skipper’s

query,

“How much will you take me up to theNessfo r?” came the prompt answer ; Ten pounds .

”

Ten devils yelled our skipper why, yo u ad

j ective hovelling pirate, it’s only about ten minutes’

walk .

” “ Better get o ut ’

n walk it then,cap’n

,

said the boatman can’t take you up fo r no lessto- night .” The usual haggling began

,but was

cut short by the hoveller,who shouted

,So long

,


bread in a bag,for the boatmen . I’ll go down

and get them some tobacco .

” Already the luggerwas closing in o n us again

,and by the time the

longed- for provisions were at hand,she was

near enough for them to be hove o n board . A

further plea for a drop o f rum could not beentertained

,as we had none

,but well pleased with

the result o f their visit the rovers sheered o ff andwere swallowed up in the encircling darkness .Exactly three-quarters of an hour later we roundedthe Ness and hove—to for the p ilot

,the lugger

popping up under o ur lee again as if she had beentowing astern

,and receiving back the lucky

hoveller with his fat fee in his pocket.Years after

,in a much larger Ship

,o f which I

was second mate,we were bound right round the

coast to Dundee,and go t befogged somewhere o ff

Beachy Head . As o n the previous occasion,the

wind was strong,and blowing right up Channel .

A hoveller came alongside and made a bargain totake us up to Dungeness fo r ten pounds . By thetime he had scrambled o n board

,o ur captain began

to wonder whether he might be available to pilotus right round to Dundee

,n o t feeling very co nfl

dent in his own knowledge o f the navigation o f

the East coast . So he put the question to o ur

visitor,who replied that he himself was n o t quali

fied,and indeed would not be allowed to take us

if he were . But he could arrange to have a NorthSea pilot o ut in Deal Roads awaiting us o n o ur

arrival there . This was to o much for our skipper’s

Hovelling 1 8 3

power o f belief. That cockle—shell o f a lugger ableto outstrip his 1400

—to n ship , with this breezebehind her

,so much in forty miles ! It couldn’t

be done . “ Never mind,sir

,said the hoveller

,

you make my money thirteen pound for the wholej o b , and if you have to wait in the Downs for yourpilot

, yo u needn’t pay me more than ten . It’s

a go,answered the captain

,fully satisfied .

Hailing his boat,the Dealman gave his instruc

tions . Crowding on all sail , away she went,

sheering in fo r the shore,and soon was lost to

sight in the mist . Meanwhile we also set all thesail She could carry

,and made a fairly rapid run to

the Downs . Sure enough,there was a galley punt

awaiting us,the men lying o n their oars , and the

pilot with his bag lounging in the stern . Theskipper said not a word as he handed o ur hovellerhis full money

,but he looked like a man who had

been badly beaten in a contest o fwits .But if o ne would see the hoveller at his best

,it

is when some hapless vessel has met her fate onthe Goodwins during a gale . The silent suck o f

those never—resting sands makes the time o f herremaining above water very short

,without the

certainty o f her rap id breaking up under the terrible battering o f the mighty seas . Gatheringaround the doomed fabric

,like j ackals round a

carcass,the hardy beachmen perform prodigies o f

labour . The work which they will do,wrench ing

o ut cargo and fittings,and transferring them to

their boats,while the straining

,groaning hull


threatens every moment to collapse beneath theireager feet

,and the bitter tempest fills the air with

salt spray,to say nothing o f an occasional breaker

which buries wreck and wreckers alike beneath itsincalculable mass of foaming water

,cannot be

adequately described— it must be seen to be realised .

As if mad with desire,they tear and strain and

heave like Titans,apparently insensible to fatigue .

For they know that at any moment their prizemay vanish from beneath them

,and with her all

their hopes of gain . Weather has for them noterrors . Let but the cry o f wreck go up

,and

though even the lifeboat be beaten back,the

hoveller will get there somehow,n o t under any

pretence o f philanthropy, but in the hope o fearn ingsomething

,though it may be gratefully recorded

that they never Shirk the most terrible risks whenthere is a hope o f saving life .Such sudden and violent transitions from utter

idleness to the most tremendous exertion as theycontinually experience do not seem to harm thesetoughened amphibia . Plenty o f them do o f

course “ go under ” in more o r less d istressingcircumstances

,but though their own tiny circle

laments their loss,their tragic fate makes no more

disturbance than the drop o f a pebble outside ofit . There are plenty to take their place . Fo reven in so precarious a calling as hovelling thereare grades . The poor possessors o f only a fouroared galley hope to rise to the dignity o fa lugger

,

so that they may quit scrabbling along the shores


work,but for nearly two months before they had

earned less than five shillings per man per week,

and they all had wives and families dependentupon them .

Yet w ith all their hardships,they are free . No

man is their master,for they always sail on shares

,

varied a little accord ing to each ' individual ’smonetary stake in the boat . And doubtless thewild life has a certain charm o f its own

,which

goes far to counterbalance its severity and danger .An ’ anyhow

,

” as one o f them said to me notlong ago

,o urn

’

s a biz ness the blo omin ’

Germansain ’t l ikely to do us o ut o f. There ain’t manyleft l ike that

,is ther ?

XX I I

THE LO S S O F THE ‘ ST . GEO RGE ’

AN IN CIDENT OF THE ANGLo -GERMANWAR OF 19

TH I NG S is lookin ’ pretty bad fo r the Britishsailor

,Bill

,don ’t ye think ?

“Well , fur’s I c’

n see,they can’t look much

wuss,Joe . I know o ne thing : ’

f I c ’d a onlygot a billet ashore— even a blo omin ’

dus’

man’

s

j ob— I’d a never even smelt salt water agen . W’

y,there ain’t n o Henglish ships now

’

ceptin’ fur the

flag . But I will say this much ; I never seen itqu ite so bad’s this afore .”The speakers were the only two British seamen

before the mast on board the four—masted steelsailing ship St . George, of Liverpool , bound fromLondon to Melbourne with a general cargo o f

immense value,and nearly five thousand tons

measurement. In the square o f the main hatchwas carefully stowed forty tons of blasting andrifle powder received at the red buoy

,G ravesend ,

and earn ing a Very high fre ight . The master wasa German of Rostock, Friedrich Schwartz by


name,who for the wage of

J£ 10 per month wasfilling this onerous position to the exclusion o f anEnglishman

,who thought such a post deserved

better pay . The chief offi cer,unfortunately for

him,was a Liverpool man

,with a l it tle money of

his own,who could therefore afford to cut rates

as well as the Germans . Every other member ofthe ship ’s company

,except the two worthies above

mentioned and a couple o f Warspite lads, was aj a—for—yes man as Jack impartially denominatesScandinavians and Teutons alike .When the St. George left the East India Docks ,

the managing d irector (She belonged to a Singlesh ip company whereof none of the shareholdersknew anyth ing of the shipping business) chuckledto himself to think how cheaply she was manned

,

and hurried back to B ill iter Street to calculate hiscommission o n the outward passage . The politicaloutlook was very gloomy . Germany was growingmore insolently aggressive every day

,and the

omniscient Kaiser smiled grimly as he read thelatest report o f the British Registrar - General ofSeamen . He was naturally delighted to see howcompletely the British nation was handing overthe control o f its vast mercantile marine to foreignoflicers and seamen

,all o f whom were trained

naval men,and capable of immediately utilising

any sudden opportunity of dealing Britain a deadlyblow.

At the time alluded to at the opening o f thisstory, the St . George, under a towering mountain

190 Idylls o f the Sea

of destination,length o f passage

,etc . Then came

ringing across the startling message,

“War isdeclared between England and Germany . Butyou’re all right

,I hope . There is little danger to

be apprehended from German warships . Still,be

careful,and crack o n all you know if you do see

a suspicious- looking craft . Good—bye,

” and themajestic vessel sheered o ff at top speed fo r the

westward .

Ha,mein verdammt Englischer schweinhund

,

dot j u are, hou j u feel yo o st now,hein ? Gott

bewahr ; j u haf komm to ein ent mit yo urselluf,ain d id Ve schou j u somedings n ow,

und tond j ufo rkedd id .

” Thus the triumphant skipper,

accompanying his j eers at the mate with a horriblegrimace at the brilliant flag floating proudly overhead

,and an emphatic expectoration on the white

deck . Then , excited beyond measure, he rushedto the break o f the poop and yelled a summons inGerman fo r all hands . Aft they came , tumblingover o n e another in their eagerness

,and ranged

themselves before the saloon doors . On his loftyplatform above their heads the rampant skipperraved

,stamped

,gesticulated

,and finally burst

sonorously into song,Deutschland

,Deutschland

,

fiber alles,all hands

,with the miserable exception

o f the handful o f English,jo in ing vociferously in

his pman of triumph .

Thenceforward,a further development o f

scurvy treatment took place . The mate wasno longer allowed access to the chronometer

,o r

Loss o f the ‘ S t . G eorge ’

1 9 1

permitted to take the sun,

o r work up the ship ’sposition . The log-book was also taken from him

,

the young third mate given charge of his watch,

and he was made to take his meals alone in hisberth . Neither he nor the two English A .B.s

were allowed to come on the poop any more,so

that they were completely in the dark as to theposition of the ship within hundreds o f miles

,as

from never seeing the compass they could onlyguess generally how she was steering . Spiritlesslythe luckless islanders wearily worried o n from dayto day

,the butt o f all their exulting shipmates .

When the Kaiser’s birthday came round,and the

ship was put en fe’

te, they were bidden sarcasticallyto rejoice over the change of affairs . But withthe hoisting o f an immense German flag at thepeak they lost all control o f themselves

,bursting

into a fury of passionate tears,mingled with curses

upon their enemies . They were immediately set

upon by the whole crowd,and after a few minutes

of desperate fighting were overpowered,heavily

ironed,and flung into the forepeak o n the coals

,

bruised from head to heel . Many and bitter weretheir regrets as they lay o n their easeless couch .

Scarcely less venomous were their curses o n thefatuous folly o f the rulers who had suffered suchan event as this to become possible than on theirbrutal gaolers . Fo r as Joe muttered scornfully

,

Tain ’t ’sif they hain’t been told of it . It’

s beendrummed into their yeers long

’nough,G o d

knows,

’

n all they ever sed wuz,Oh

,yore


ez aggeratin’

. The pussentidge uv furriners in theBritish mercantile marine ain’t anythin

’ like so

h igh az you say.

”

’

Seems ’bout’s high’s we want,anyway

,said

Bill dreamily,while the poor mate ground his

teeth but never said a word .

What puzzled them all greatly was the lengtho f time the ship seemed to be getting into coldweather . From the time the cruiser spoke them

,

when they were in about 1 5 degrees N was nowmore than a month

,and with the winds they had

carried they Should have been running their castingdown in about 40 degrees S .

‘ But they were stillin tropical weather . At last the mate broke along silence by sayin “ I believe he’s makingfor Walvisch Bay .

’

Shouldn ’t wonder if there’ssome German warships there o r thereabouts . Ionly hope he is trying to get there

,an ’ o ne o f our

cruisers sights him . It’s about o ur only chance .”Several days passed and still they were kept

close prisoners in the black,stifling hole

,starving

on a trifle of hard tack and water,and sinking

deeper every day into a very gulf of despair . Atlast

,to the practised senses o f the captives

,it was

evident that something was afoot . She had hoveto . On deck the Deutschers were in trouble .As the mate had surmised

,they were bound fo r

Walvisch Bay, carrying every rag they couldcrowd on her

,seeing that every hour they were

o ut o f port now o n this unusual course wasbrimful of danger . The skipper scarcely ever


facts o f this mystery . Arriving alongside,the

offi cer sprang on board,and

,quickly mounting the

poop,confronted Captain Schwartz

,whose face was

a study o f conflicting emotions . Already thelieutenant had noticed the Teutonic appearance o f

everybody on deck,and the captain ’s working face

deepened the suspicions aroused .

“ I wish toexamine your papers

,sir

,said he quietly to the

scowling skipper . Vat for,sir was the almost

expected reply . For all answer the lieutenantstrode to the side and blew a small whistle

,which

brought six o f his boat’s crew bounding o n boardin an instant . Now

,sir

,

” he said,turning again

to the skipper,

“ my time is precious,and my

orders precise . Kindly lead the way into yourcabin

,and produce your documents , or I must

search for them without you .

” The baffledTeuton still hesitating

,the naval officer

,with a

slight gesture of impatience,beckoned his men aft .

They came on the jump, but one o f them steppingforward in advance o f his fellows

,saluted

,and

said,

“ Beg pardon,sir

,but we just heard some

voices forrard a—cryin’ Help ! ’ and it sounded ’

s

if they q cooped up somewheres .” A darkfrown settled upon the officer’s face as he replied

,

sternly,Three of you go forrard and search the

others come below here with me . But before hestepped into the companion—way he blew two sharpnotes on his whistle

,a signal which was immediately

answered by the cruiser sending another cutteralongside with a fully—armed crew .

LO S S of the ‘ St . George ’

1 9 5

In the meantime the search aft had revealed theShip’s papers

,which showed of course that the

St. George had cleared from London for Melbourne .The skipper’s private j ournal in German was alsoimpounded . With the documents under his armthe lieutenant returned on deck

,j ust as the search

party forward emerged from the fore-peak bringing their hapless countrymen to light . Orderswere immediately issued to place all the foreignersunder arrest

,but the skipper was n owhere to be

seen . A search fo r him was ordered at once,but

the words had hardly been spoken when,with an

awful roar,the whole beautiful fabric was rent into

a myriad fragments an immense volume of densesmoke rose sullenly into the clear air

,and the

sparkling sea was bestrewn with the mangledremains of friend and fo e alike .The desperate skipper had chosen

,rather than

give up his ill-gotten prize,to fire the great store

of powder under the main-hatch,involving himself

and his captors in one awful fate . A great waveraised by the gigantic explosion made even thestately cruiser roll and stagger as if in a heavygale

,but all her boats were in the water in a trice

,

making search for any trace o f life among thewreckage .Not one was saved

,and with a company o f

heavy-hearted men she resumed her passage bearingthe terrible news o f the loss o f the St . George.

XX I I I

THE TRUTH AB O UT THE

ME RCHANT S E RV I CE

AT intervals, ever since the issue o f the last reportof the Registrar—General o f Shipping and Seamen

,

there have been appearing in the press items o fcomment upon the significant tables set forth inthat most interesting document . But o ne featurehas been painful ly evident in all o f them— theinability to appreciate

,from a merchant seaman’s

point o f View, the underlying lessons that reportcontained .

This,though much to beregretted

,can scarcely

be wondered at when we remember the limitations,

the inarticulateness,of the class referred to . Here

it may be as well to state that in what follows theterms ship

,

” officer,

” and seaman,are to be

understood as referring solely to the MercantileMarine

,unless otherwise stated —a necessary warn

ing,since eight out o f every ten landsmen always

confound the two services,mercantile and naval .

First in importance,as well as in interest

,to

seamen is the question o f personnel . It is muchto the credit o f the Navy League that it is wide


almost exclusively composed of Lascars and Chinese,

with British o fficers . To the former belong suchgreat undertakings as the Cunard

,

” the Union,

the “ Castle ,” and the “ Pacific ” Companies . In

these splendid vessels the Britisher tenaciouslyholds his own

,in whatever part o f the Ship you

seek him . The food is good , pay is fair, accommo datio n is comfortable

,and a high state o f

discipline is maintained . Consequently,these ships

are eagerly sought after by the better class o f

seamen,who will be found making voyage after

voyage in the same vessel,o r at least in the same

line .

But having thus briefly dismissed the almostexclusively British-manned branches o f the Mercan tile Marine

,we are met by a vastly different

state o fafiairs at once .

OC EA N TRAMPSG o to o ne of the shipp ing o ffi ces when a sailing

ship is “ signing o n,

” and watch the skipper ’scontemptuous look as he scrutinises a steamboatman’s discharge just handed to him .

“ I wantsailors

,not navvies

,he shouts

,as he scornfully

flings it back . Therefore a “ sailor man givesthem a wide berth if he can . And then the conditio n s of life on board these tanks effectually bardecent Britons out of them . The few that arefound in them generally belong to that unhappyclass of men who get drunk at every opportunity

,

Truth about Merchant Service 1 99

and must go wh en their money is done in whateverpresents itself. They would sail in a s ieve withthe devil for a skipper . The rule is, however , forthese vessels to be manned by a motley crowd o f

what Jack calls dagoes,

” Latins of all kinds,the

scum of the Levant,with a sprinkl ing of Scand i

navian s,but not many . It speaks volumes fo r the

Skill and pluck of the officers unfortunate enoughto be respon sible for such ships

,that so few casual

ties occur in comparison with their number ; forit is no uncommon thing for a tramp o f a thousandtons or so to be wallowing along through a p itchblack night

,the whole watch o n deck consisting of

the officer in charge and three men,no o ne o f

whom is able to understand the other . One is atthe wheel

,one is o n the look—out

,and the other

stands by to never m ind .

” The kennel below isfilthy,

- a parti—coloured halo round the reekinggrease - pot that serves for a lamp eloquentlytestifying to the condition of the atmosphere .The food is in keeping with the rest

,where pro

vided by the ship but in a large number of casesthese are “ weekly boats ” ; that is, the men arepaid by the week and “ find ” themselves

,—an

arrangement that lends itself to some extraord inarydevelopments o fmixed messes and sem i- starvationamong such a strange medley o f races . I knewa weekly boat once that signed in London fora Mediterranean voyage

,but was chartered in

Smyrna to take pilgrims to Jeddah . The fellowscut their purchases very fine

,as it was for the trip

,


but owing to their stores being stolen by thestarving pilgrims

,they were in such a plight when

they left Suez that it was a miracle they did notshare the fate o f fifty—five o f their passengers

,who

resigned their pilgrimage on the passage,and found

rest among the sharks . Other things happened,

too,more true than tellable, which would almost

serve as an appendix to the Inferno . These vesselsare mostly owned by single—ship companies

,a

dozen or so o f which will be managed by someenterprising broker

,who makes a fortune , although

the shareholders rarely see dividends . Under suchcond itions of ownersh ip there is no room forwonder that these tramps are what they are .

MU CH CA NV A S AND FEW MEN

Many intelligent people are possessed by theidea that steam is rapidly driving the sailing- shipfrom the sea. If they would only take a strollround the docks they would alter their views .For certain trades and some kinds o f cargo thesteamer

,let her be built

,found

,and manned as

cheaply as the ’cutest single—ship manager cancontrive

,cannot possibly compete with the sailing

ship . And of late years it has been found possibleto add enormously to the size o f sailing—shipswithout increasing the cost of their working toany extent . Four -masted ships have becomeplentiful

,carrying an area o f canvas which would

have seemed incredible to the seamen o ffifty years


more awful than those gained by being o n a yardwith a handful of men trying to master two orthree thousand yards of No . 1 canvas in whatsailors call a “ breeze o f wind

,

”o f the Horn

,

for instance,in a blinding snowstorm

,with the

canvas like a plank for stiffness,and rising far

above your head in a solid round of white,into

which you vainly try to force your half—frozenfingers .

THE DUTCHMANThere is a great temptation to enlarge upon

this theme,but it must be sternly suppressed

,my

object being solely to Show how a scanty crewlist adds to the miseries o f the sailor . Not onlyso

,but the food is so uniformly

,unpardonably

bad that British seamen will not put up with ita day longer than they can help . They get outof it the first opportunity that presents itself

,and

the Dutchman,as Jack impartially designates

Germans and Scandinavians alike , comes in . Insuch vessels as I have been describing he is foundin a proportion of at least 8 5 per cent . And notonly as common seamen

,but as offi cers

,masters

,

mates,and tradesmen . In these ships are to be

found the 1 80 captains, 5 12 mates , 637boatswains ,

1304 carpenters , 277sailmakers , and 2 3 2 1 cooksand stewards of foreign birth admittedly sailing inBritish vessels

,according to the Registrar-General .

A very potent reason fo r this is to be found in thepeculiar conditions of discipline

,o r rather want o f

Truth about Merchant Service 20 3discipline

,obtaining o n board these ships . Bad

food,short—handedness

,and miserable quarters

make British Jack,never too amenable to disci

pline,kick over the traces . When he does

,which

is not infrequently,what remedy has his superior

oflicer Practically none . Handcuffs are carried,

but with an all to o scanty crew already thatcoercive measure is barred . American methodsof “ booting ” and “ belaying-pin soup ” are alsoout o f the question

,for Jack knows enough o f

the Merchant Shipping Act to make him a dangero us customer to assault . Personal violence towardsa seaman o n the high seas renders an oflicer liableto lose his certificate

,even if he gets a present

advantage in the sudden civility o f the personassaulted . Again

,the scanty number of officers

carried in proportion to the crew is a powerfulargument against the use o f physical force . So

dangerous a weapon ought never to be used atsea unless it is sure to be effectual . And yet

,

failing personal violence,there are no means by

which an oflicer can enforce obedience to hisorders . Refusal to obey orders

,often accompanied

by the foulest abuse,is o ne o f the commonest of

experiences at sea in British sailing ships,for which

gross outrage the master’s only legal remedy isto note the offence in the official log

,and o n the

ship’s arrival in port get a magistrate to sanctionfining the offender a portion of his pay varyingfrom two days ’ to a month’s wages .Between British seamen anxious to leave the


sea and captains eager to Ship Dutchmen , the.

miserable remnant of o ur countrymen manningdeep—water ” ships steadily dwindles . Thosethat remain are mostly like Sterne’s starling

,o r

else they are hopeful youngsters who,having

served their time in some singly—owned hooker,

and passed for second mate,sail before the mast

in hope of picking up a berth abroad . They cannot live at home in idleness wearing away the dockroads looking for berths which are all filled upby those possessing influence o f some kind withthe owners

,so they put in their time as AB S

and live in hope . This,however

,is n o t all .

Not content with supplying o ur forecastles,the

Dutchmen kindly furnish us with offi cers as well .

I have been before the mast in a ship,the Orpheus

o fG reenock,where the chief mate was a Liverpool

man,who

,with a Welsh AB . and myself

,re

presented the entire British element o n board .

Her crew numbered twenty—four all told . Doubtless I shall hear that this was a marvellouslyexceptional case

,but I beg to differ— it is all too

common .

THE BOY

Another curious feature of the manning o f ourships is especially noticed by the Registrar—General— the way in which young British seamen leavethe sea- life at the earliest opportunity . His unemotio nal remark

,that as sailors do not ordinarily

enter the sea—service after they are twenty-five


now,if they learn anything

,it is because they are

determined to do so in spite of difficulties whichare only to be overcome by such indomitableperseverance as one can hardly expect from a boy .

And lastly,they are thrown into the intimate

society of a group of men who,generally speaking

,

have but one topic of conversation,one mode o f

speech— the worst possible . They are continuallybeing told that nobody but a fool goes to sea

,that

it is the life o f a convict,with worse food and

lodging,and that they had better sweep a crossing

ashore . Consequently they are ever o n the looko ut for a way o f escape

,and the great majority

succeed in finding o ne before very long .

THE NAV AL RE S ERV E

This brings me to a most important part of thesubject

,the question of merchant seamen as a

reserve for the Navy . There can be no doubt thatthe institution o f the Royal Naval Reserve was agrand idea

,but there are grave doubts as to the

way in which it is being carried o ut. As far as itsoflicers are concerned

,its success can hardly be

disputed, though there may be more truth than ispalatable in the assertion that Naval officers lookdown with much contempt upon the gallantmerchantmen who become R .N .R . lieutenants .Whether that be so or not

,I am sure that Naval

officers would be the first to recognise the valueof R .N .R lieutenants if ever their services were

Truth about Merchant Service 207

needed,and any lingering feeling o f superiority

would soon give place to admiration . But themen

,the rank and file

,who are each paid a sub

stan tial retaining fee yearly,besides a guinea a week

fo r six weeks ’ annual drill ? I speak under correction as trenching upon a matter with which Ihave had small acquaintance

,but I believe that

drill is usually put in o n board o f an ancient hulk ,with obsolete weapons

,and that very few o f the

men have any acquaintance whatever with theactual conditions of service on board a sea-goingvessel o f war . If I am right in this contention

,

then this most valuable body of men are runningto waste

,and would be n o more fit to take their

places o n board a man-o ’-war than they would be

to start cabinet—making . And if this be so in thecase o f Royal Naval Reserve men

,what can be

said o f those outside that experimental force ?Except that he would be hardly likely to get seasick

,the merchant seaman suddenly transferred to

(let us say) a first—class battleship would feel asmuch o ut o f his element as any landsman

,more

so than an engine- fitter o r a man accustomed tosome of our big machine- shops . To use the samewords

,but in a very different sense

,that I used

about the tramp- steamer crews,a man- o f—warsman

(blue—j acket) is not a sailor at all now . He is amarine artilleryman with a fine knowledge o f boathandling

,but a spanner is fitter for his fist than a

marlinspike . He lives in the heart of a bewildering complication o f engineering contrivances

,to


which the mazy web of a sailing- ship’s top hamperis as simple as a child’s box o f bricks . He isaccustomed to the manipulation o fmasses o f metalso huge as to excite the awe- stricken wonder ofthe ordin ary citizen who is not an engineer . Andfamil iari ty with packages of death—dealing explosivesrenders him as contemptuously indifferent to theirpotentialities of destruction as if they were sand o r

sawdust . And , most important o f all , long andrigid training has made him o ne of the smartestmen in the world

,able to act at the word of com

mand like a pin ion in a machine,at the right

moment,in the right way

,yet with that in

telligence no machine can ever possess .

THE INTELLIGENT FOR E IGN ERTalk about the average merchant seamen filling

up gaps in the ranks o f men like these is almosttoo much for one’s patience o n the part o f thosewhose business it is to know it i s criminal stupidity . Now in France every merchant seaman mustperforce spend a large proportion o f his time inthe Navy

,so that their reserve is always available .

And that is o ne reason why France strives so

eagerly to foster her Mercantile Marine even atsuch crushing cost to her long- suffering taxpayers .In the event o f war with us

,however

,she would

be in a far different position,because She could

exist without a merchant ship at sea,and all their

crews would be ready for service in the Navy.


tramp steamer at £ 5 103 . a month . They couldnot be much cheaper than that

,unless they got

the same wages as the crew . And I know o f

English skippers o f sea-going steamers out o f

London who are getting £ 10 a month . Poormen

,they are cheap enough !

To sum up as briefly as possible all the foregoingremarks : It seems clear to me

,as it has done to

all intelligent seamen that I have ever met,that

very little legislation is needed to make the BritishMercantile Marine popular again among o ur owncountrymen . Legislation has hitherto done littlefor the sailor

,while it has exasperated the Ship

owner,already handicapped as none o f his foreign

rivals have ever been . The Mercantile Marineshould more nearly approximate to the Navy inmany o f its details

,which need not entail extra

expen se or annoyance to the shipowner . It shouldbe made possible for a shipmaster to ensure betterdisciplin e

,but he should be able to g ive his men

better food and better housing . The Board o f

Trade scale of provisions is a hateful abom inationit ought to be blotted o ut and a sensible dietarysubstituted

,which need not exceed it in cost

,while

it would act like a charm upon seamen,fo r whom

it has an importance undreamed o f by those ashore,

who even on the slenderest incomes can fare everyday in a manner luxurious by comparison with o ur

sailors . More attention should be paid to themen’s quarters . Here

,again

,expenses need not

be raised a little attention to detail in drawing up

Truth about Merchant Service 2 1 1

specifications would make a vast difference . And

none hut a naturalisea’

British suhj ect shoula’

he

permitted to sign articles in a British ship . Thisplan is pursued with advantage in American vessels

,

which , l ike o ur own ,carry an enormous percentage

of foreigners o f all nations . Of undermanning Ineed say nothing more , because the question isbeing dealt with

,and will

,I earnestly hope

,be

settled with as much satisfaction to everybodyconcerned as the splend id “Midge scheme

,the

only p iece of marine legislation that I can re

member that has been completely successful .Unfortunately

,under present conditions i t is re

sponsible for the still further depletion of ourMercantile Marine of Br itish seamen

,since numbers

o f them by its ben eficent operations reach theirhomes with their hard- earned pay intact . Thisenables them to look about fo r a j ob ashore wherethey are known

,whereas under the bad o ld con

ditio n s they would have been in a few days againoutward bound with a stocking round theirnecks

,

” as Jack tersely sums up the s ituation o f aman who has squandered all his money

,been

robbed o f,or has sold

,all h is clothes

,and is o ff to

sea again in the first craft that he can get,go ing

he neither knows nor cares whither .

XX IV

CAN CER CAY

TH ER E is a tiny islet on the outskirts of theSolomon Archipelago that to all such casualwanderers as stray so far presents not a singlefeature of interest . Like scores o f others in thoselatitudes

,it has not yet attained to the dignity of

a single coco—nut tree, although many derelictnuts have found a lodgment upon it

,and begun

to grow,only to be wiped out o f existence at the

next spring- tide . Viewed from a balloon itwould look l ike a silly- season mushroom

,but with

a fringe o f snowy foam around it marking theprotecting barrier to which it owes its existence

,to

say noth ing o f its growth . Yet of all places inthe world which I have been privileged to visit

,

this barren l ittle mound o f sand cl ings mosttenaciously to my memory , for reasons wh ich willpresently appear .One of those devastating cyclones that at long

intervals sweep across the Pacific , leaving a longswath o f destruction in their wake

,had over

taken the pearling schooner o f which I was mate .


shrieking hurri cane raged overhead as if it wouldtear the land up by the roots .When I awoke it was fine weather , though to

leeward the infernal reek of the departing meteorstill d isfigured a huge segment of the Sky . Ilooked around

,and myj aw dropped . Often I had

wondered what a poor devil would do whohappened to be cast away on such a spot as this .Apparently I was about to learn . A painfulp inch at my bare foot startled me

,and I saw an

ugly beast of a crab going for me . He wasnearly a foot across , his blue back covered withlong sp ikes

,and his wicked little eyes seemed to

have an expression of d iabolical malignity . Isnatched at a handful of h is legs and swung himround my head

,dashing him against the side o f

my coop with such vigour that h is armour flew toflinders around me . I never have liked crab

,even

when dressed,but I found the raw flesh of that o ne

tasty enough— it qu ite smartened me up . Havingeaten hearti ly

,I took a saunter up the smooth

knoll of sand , aimlessly, I suppose , for it was asbare as a plate

,without a stone o r a shell . From

its h ighest point,about ten feet above high-water

mark,I looked around

,but my horizon was

completely bounded by the ring of breakers aforesaid . I felt l ike the scorp ion within the fierycircle

,and almost as d isposed to sting myself to

death had I possessed the proper weapon . As Istood gazing vacantly at the foaming barrier andsolemn enclosing dome offleckless blue , I was again

Cancer Cay 2 1 5

surprised by a vicious nip at my foot. There wasanother huge crab boldly attacking me— me

,a

vigorous man,and not a sodden corpse

,as yet . I

felt a grue of horror run all down my back,but I

grabbed at the vile thing and hurled it from mehalf across the island . Then I became aware o f

others arriving,converging upon me from all

around,and I was pan ic—stricken . For one mad

moment I thought o fplunging into the sea again ;but reason reasserted itself in time

,reminding me

that,while I had certain advantages on my side

where I was,in the water I should fall a helpless

vi ctim at once,if,as might naturally be expected

,

these ghouls were swarming there . Not a weapono f any kind could I see

,neither stick nor stone .

My feelings of disgust deepened into despair . ButI got little time for thought . Such a multitude ofthe eerie things were about me that I was keptmost actively employed seiz ing them and flingingthem from me . They got bolder

,feinting and

dodging around me,but happ ily without any

definite plan of campaign among them . Once Istaggered forward

,having trodden unaware upon

a spiky back as I sprung aside,wounding my foot

badly . I fell into a group of at least twenty,

crushing some of them,but after a painful struggle

among those needle- like spines regained my feetwith several cl inging to my body . A kind offrenzy seized me

,and

,regardless o f pain

,I

clutched at them right and left,dashing them to

fragments one against the other,until quite a p ile


o fwrithing, dismembered enem ies lay around me ,while my hands and arms were streaming fromnumberless wounds . Very soon I became exhan sted by my violent exertions and the intenseheat

,but

,to my unfathomable thankfulness

,the

heap of broken crabs afforded me a long respite ,the sound ones finding congen ial occupation indevouring them . While I watched the busycannibals swarming over the yet writhing heap

,I

became violently ill , for imagination vividly depicted them rioting in my viscera . Vertigo seizedme

,I reeled and fell prone

,oblivious to all things

for a t ime .When sense returned it was night . The broad

moon was commencing her triumphal march amongthe stars

,which glowed in the blue-black concave

like globules o f incandescent steel . My body wasdrenched with dew

,a blessed relief

,for my tongue

was leathery and my l ips were split with drouth .

I tore o ff my Shirt and sucked it eagerly, themoisture it held

,though brackish

,mitigating my

tortures o f thirst . Suddenly I bethought me o f

my foes,and looked fearfully around . There was

not o ne to be seen,nothing near but the heap o f

clean-p icked shells of those devoured . As themoon rose higher

,I saw a cluster o f white obj ects

at a l ittle distance,soon recognisable as boobies .

They permitted me to snatch a couple o f themeasily

,and wr inging o ff their heads I got such a

draught as put new life into me . Hope returned,

even quelling the cruel thought of daylight bring


to my tortured mind it was an etern ity . At last,overborne

,exhausted

,surrounded by mounds o f

tho se I had destroyed , over which fresh legionspoured in everincreasing numbers

,earth and sky

whirled around me,and I fell backward . As I

went,with many of the vile things already cl inging

to me,I heard a yell— a human vo ice that revived

my dull ing senses like a galvan ic shock . Withone last flash o fv igour I sprang to my feet

,seeing

as I did so a canoe with four Kanakas in it,not

fifty yards away,in the smooth water between the

beach and the barrier . Bounding like a buck ,heedless of the pain as my wounded feet clashedamong the innumerable sp iky carapaces of myenemies

,I reached the water

,and hurled myself

headlong towards that ark of safety . H ow Ireached it I do not know

,nor anything further

until I returned to life again o n board the Warrigalof Sydney, as weak as a babe and feeling a centuryolder .

XXV

A N INETEENTH CENTURYJONAH

WE were gathered together in a compact groupunder the weather bulwarks o f the o ld Rainhow ,

South Sea—man,presently cruising o n the Line

grounds ; officers and harpooners o f three shipsengaged in the pleasant occupation of gamming

,

”

as ship—Visit ing is termed among Southern-goingwhalemen . Song and dance were fin ished

,and

with pipes aglow,stretched at o ur ease

,the time

honoured cuffer o r yarn was go ing its soothinground .

The fourth officer o f the Rainbow,a taciturn

Englishman,whose speech and manner excited

wonder as to how he came in that galley , wascalled upon in his turn to contribute . Withouthes itation

,as if professional story—telling was his

méti’

er, he began’Ere she white water—r-rs ! Ah blo—o - ow

came ringing down from the main crow’s nest o fthe Megantic, South Sea whaler o f Martha’sVineyard

,as she heeled solemnly to the steady


trade o n the o ff- shore ’ ground o ne lovelymorn ing .

‘Where away ? Haow fer o ff?’ roared the

skipper,while

,slinging his glasses

,he prepared

to elevate his s ixteen stone painfully to the g iddyheight above him .

Two p ’ints o n the starb’rd bao uw,sir

,

’baoutfive mile o ff.

‘ Looks like sparm whale,sir

,

’ wasthe prompt reply .

All right,keep her az she goes

,Mr . Slocum

,

’

n’ clar away boats

,

’ said the ‘ old man,

’ as withmany a grunt he began his pilgrimage o fpain .

“ There was no need to call all hands . Thefirst cry had startled them into sudden activity .

Before its echoes died away,they were o n deck

,

with no trace o f drowsiness among them . Beingin a high state o f discipl ine

,each man went straight

to his boat,standing ready

,at the word

,to lower

and be o ff after the gambolling leviathan ahead .

S ilence reigned profound,except for the soothing

murmur o f the displaced sea as the lumbering o ld

barky forged slowly ahead, o r the soft flap o f ahardly-drawing staysail as she rolled to windward .

Seated upon the upper topsail yard,the o ld man

sol iloquised grumblingly,What in the ’tarnal

blazes ’

s he doin’ o f Gaul bust my gol—dernskin ef ever I see sech a n in seck

’

n my life . I beeverlastin

’

ly frazzled ef’taint mos’ ’

s bad ez

snakes in yer boots . Mr . Slocum,j es’ shin up

byar a minit, won’t ye ?’“ As if unable to trust his own senses any


frum aloft Heave to,

’ n low’r away,Mr . Slocum .

Guess yew’

ll fine a fish thar,er tharabo ut.

’

‘ Ay, ay, sir,

’ promptly returned the mate,

departing with great alacrity,issuing orders the

while,so that by the time he reached the deck

there was a whirring rattle of patent sheaves,and

a succession of subdued splashes,as boat after boat

took the water . In almost as Short a time as ittakes to say it, the boats

’ masts were stepped,

the big sails bellied out,and away sped the hand

some craft,in striking contrast to the unlovely old

hulk that had borne them .

We were no greenies long practice had sofamiliarised us with the wiles and ferocity of thecachalot

,that we had none o f the tremors at

approaching one that so sorely aflfict beginners .Nevertheless there was an air o fmystery about thepresent proceedings which affected all o f us moreor less

,though no o ne knew precisely why.

Absolute silence is the invariable rule,as you know

,

in boats going o n a fish,

’ because o f that exquisitesense o f sound possessed by the sperm whale

,

which is something more than hearing ; so wewere sl ightly startled to hear o ur harpooner say ina clear undertone

,

‘ Dern funny- lookin ’ fish that,

Mr . Slocum,don’t ye think ? But for all answer

our chief growled,Stand up

,José

Instantly the big fellow sprang to his feet inattitude to strike

,balancing his weapon

,a heroic

figure sharply outlined against the clear blue .Good Lord ! what was that A horrible

A Nineteenth—Century Jonah 22 3

medley o fblue—black and livid white,an inextricable

tangle of writhing,clutch ing

,tearing

,serpent- like

arms,that lashed the sea into a cur ious dusky foam

,

evil—smell ing and greasy . Out of its midst rosean immense globular mass

,bear ing two eyes larger

than barrel—heads,dead black

, yet with a Satan i cexpression that confused one ’s heart-beats .

“ ‘ G iv’

t to him ! giv’

t to h im ! ’ roared themate

,and instantly the iron flew into the midst o f

the wallowing entanglement,followed immediately

by another from José’s eager,nervous arms .

Willing hands clutched the flapping sail to roll itup

,but a shr iek of agony paralysed them all. A

long livid thing rose o n the o ff side of the boat,

and twining itself around the wretched harpooner’stall figure

,tore him from o ur midst

,his heart

broken death—yell curdling our blood . ! uick asthought

,another o f those awful arms came glid ing

over us,this time encircling the boat amidships .

Though tapering to the slenderest o f points,it was

o fthe circumference o f a man’s body at its thickest,

and armed w ith saucer- like mouths all along itsinferior surface . One o f these clung to my barebreast as the slimy horror tightened round us

,

a ring o fgreat curved claws which protruded fromit tearing at my flesh as if to strip it from thebones . But we had hardly realised what washappening

,when she was going over

,parbuckled

as you might turn a hand—bowl . In a moment allwas darkness and struggle for breath amidst a verymaelstrom o f slime and stench

,in the depths o f


which I felt myself freed from that frightful grip .

It seemed like hours before,with a bound

,I reached

the surface again,clutching at something hard and

floating as I rose . In spite o f the excruciatingagony of my wounds

,and the rushing of the air

into my collapsed lungs,there was a sense of relief

beyond express ion,as of resurrection from the

deadAlthough counted a good swimmer even

among such amphibia as o ur crew,I lay there

supine,stretched at length upon the sea—” a still

,

white figure grasping numbly at the fragment o fbottom—board . Suddenly I became aware o f awhirling in the water again

,but I was in a sort o f

stupor o f the physical faculties,though mentally

alert enough .

“ Then up reared above my head an obj ect Irecognised with a long wail of terror ; thetremendous lower j aw of the sperm whale

,bristling

with its double row o f gleaming teeth . BeforeI could gasp a prayer

,o r even think what was

happening, I was gliding down the vast greycavern o f his throat

,with but o ne thought left

‘ the descent into Hell is easy .

’ Down,down I

went into utter darkness,among a squirming

,

fetid heap o f snaky coils,that enveloped me

,and

seemed to gnaw and tear at my shuddering bodyas if devouring me at second hand . Then camean explosion— a dull

,rending report that sent an

earthquake shock through me and my unutterable surroundings . Immediately following this


o ne o f the gigantic cuttle-fish,o r

‘ squid,

’ uponwhich these cetaceans feed , and of which it is mostprobable no mortal eye has yet beheld a full- sizedspecimen . For they inhabit the middle depths o foceans

,never coming to the surface voluntarily .

This monster’s arms,o r tentacles

,enlaced the

whole colossal body o f the whale,so that they

must have been fully 60 feet or 70 feet in length .

At their junction with the head they were about5 feet in girth , as a huge fragment lying at thebottom o f the boat conclusively proved . At thetime we so rashly attacked the whale the mightymollusc must have been in his death—throes

,fo r

immediately after o ur boat’s disappearance thewhale ‘ sounded .

’ When,a minute o r two later ,

he rose again to the surface,the other boats ’ crews

saw him busily turning over and over, as if collecting the scattered fragments of his late victim . Atthat time they had not noticed me among thevarious flotsam

,but it must have been then that I

vanished down the capacious gullet of the voraciouscetacean . Fortunately for me they were furiouslybent upon attacking the whale

,and so in some

degree avenging their slain shipmates .“ The second mate had loaded his bomb—gun

with an extra heavy charge,and at the same

moment that the harpooner darted his weapon thebomb was discharged also . It penetrated thecachalot’s lungs

,infl icting a mortal wound by its

explosion therein,the noise o fwhich was the shock

that I felt while in that horrible tomb . As is

A Nineteenth—Century Jonah 227

usual,in his dying agony the whale ej ected the

whole contents o f his stomach,by means of which

cataclysm I was expelled therefrom and restoredto the upper world once more . But had it notbeen for long and severe practice in diving

,taken

while pearl—fishing in Polynesia, enabl ing me tocompete successfully with Kanakas

,who almost

live in the water,and even to outdo them at times

,

I must have been suffocated . The only time Iwas ever before so distressed fo r breath was inLevuka

,when mate o f a schooner . Our anchor

fouled a rock in eight fathoms of water,and we

could by n o means persuade any o f o ur nativesto attempt its release . Rather than lose the fairchance o f sailing that day I tried the dangeroustask

,succeeding after a desperate struggle

,but

regaining the surface with blood streaming frommouth

,nose

,and ears .

“ I lay back in the stern—sheets o f the boatfeeling cruelly exhausted

,the pain of my ghastly

wound becoming continually more severe . But,

even pre- occupied as I was,I could hardly fail to

notice a want o f cordiality towards me among myshipmates . An uncomfortable silence prevailed ,depressing and unusual . It was not due to thenatural solemnity following upon the sudden losso f five of o ur number

,cut ofl" in the prime o f

their health and strength,for

,until I had told

the wonderful story of my going down into Sheol,

their demeanour had been very d ifferent . Ilooked appealingly and wonderingly from one to


the other,but could not meet any eye . They were

all furtively averted with intent to avoid my gaze .“ To my rel ief we reached the ship speedily

I was assisted o n board gently enough,and led aft

to where the skipper was roaming restlessly athwartthe quarterdeck

,like a caged animal . I was

allowed to sit down while he examined me keenlyas to the Occurrences of the day . The gloomdeepened o n his face as I recounted all that Icould remember o f the fate o f my unfortunateshipmates

,until

,my tale being told

,he began

,in

curt,half- angry fashion

,to question me about my

antecedents . Not liking his manner,besides

feel ing faint and i ll,I gave him but l ittle informa

tion on that head .

Then he burst out into petulant disconnectedsentences

,in b itter regrets for the lost men

,blame

of everybody generally,and at last

,as if his

predominant thought could no longer be restrained,

shouted,

‘ I wish ter G o d A ’

mighty I’d never seen

y’

r face aboard my ship . Man an ’ boy I b ’enspo utin

’ fer over forty year,an’ never see

,no

,ner

hearn tell o v, sech a hell-fire turn o ut Yew’

r aJonah

,thet

’

s wut yew air,an’ the sooner we get

shet o v ye the better it’ll be fer all han’s, an’ themore l ikely we sh’

l be to hev some luck .

"

This was such a crusher that I d id not attemptto reply

,nor

,owing to my condition

,did I qu ite

realise the full brutal ity and injustice of the manas I might otherwise have done . I crept forwardto my bunk

,to find myself shunned by all my

XXV I

THE TRAG I CAL TA LE O F THE

B OOME RANG PIG

HE was born under a baleful star . I know,

because I was there at the time . But at theoutset o f this veracious history

,to prevent probable

misunderstanding,allow me to assert that what

follows in all its details is literally and absolutelytrue . Naturally deficient in imagination

,I would not

attempt to embellish so curious a narrative as this,

which,were I gifted beyond all literary roman cists

,

I should only mar by adding fiction thereunto .

Well then,for the locus in quo , a lumbering

old Yankee-built ship o f some 2000 tons burden,

bound from Liverpool to Bombay with coal,and

at the inauspicious opening of my subject’s erraticcareer wallowing in the storm- torn sea o ff theCape of Good Hope . His mother was a middleaged lady pig

,with a bitter grievan ce against

mankind in general,and her present owners in

particular . Brought o n board during the vessel’sstay in Madras the previous year

,she had never

forgotten or ceased to lament her native jungle,

Tale of the Boomerang P ig 2 3 1

nor had the long course of gentle treatment andgood food modified by a single vengeful gasp hervirulent hatred o f all and sundry . Insult wasadded to injury when

,in Liverpool

,she was

mated with an alien spouse,the chubby p ink

flushed whiteness o f whose skin made no greatercontrast to her inky hue than did the calm placidityo f his temper to her furious

,unappeasable

,and con

tinual rage . Many tokens o fher regard were scoreddeeply along his fat sides ; indeed , but fo r theman ifest

‘

impo ssibility of getting a fair bite at h im ,

it is only reasonable to suppose that she wouldhave devoured him alive .Now it befell upon a certain evening

,when a

bitter north-east gale was brewing under thelowering leaden sky, and the weird whistl ing ofthe com ing tempest made melancholy musicthrough the complain ing shrouds

,that an interest

ing event in her h istory drew near its fulfilment .In anticipation o f this occurrence

,o ur carpenter had

rigged up a rude sort of fold under the topgallantforecastle

,and within its narrow limits she was

ranging tiger- like,champing her foam-flecked

j aws,and occasionally tobogganing from side to

side in various unhappy attitudes as the shiptumbled every way in the bewildered sea.

When the watch to wh ich I (a small urch in o f

fourteen) belonged came on deck at midnightI was immediately told o ff by my inveterate foe ,the second mate

,to attend to the requirements o f

the “ lady in the straw .

” Inverted commas are


necessary,because the “ straw did n o t exist

,nor

any substitute for i t ; nothing but the bare deckpolished to a glossy slipperiness by the incessantfriction of the sliding sow. There was a freshhand at the bellows before we had been on deckmany minutes

,and all the watch were soon perched

aloft,struggling short—handedly with the acreage

o f thundering canvas , while the ship plunged SOviolently that I could only remain under the forecastle by clinging

,bat—like

,to the side o f the pen

that confined the miserable mother—elect . Duringthat vigil o f terror and darkness (for I had onlyo ne o f those ancient teapot- shaped lamps

,that

yield more smoking stench than light) elevenwretched parti—coloured morsels o f pork came intobeing

,the advent o f each o ne exacerbating the

feelings o f the already frantic parent to such adegree that she became a veritable fury

,and to my

terrified eyes seemed to dilate with poten tialities o fdestruction . Out of the whole family I succeeded

,

at the imminent risk o f my own l ife , in savingtwo from the j aws o f their maniacal mother

,and

o ne o f those sagaciously succumbed befo re e ightbells . I received small thanks for my pains

,and

narrowly escaped a colting at my tyrant ’s hands,

who saw his visions of abundant sucking-pigrudely d ispelled by what he was pleased to call mydam’ p ig—headed foolishness . ”It boots no t now to tell o fthe wealth of ingenu ity

I lavished upon that ill- starred p iglet,to whom I

stood perforce in loco parentis— how I must needs


became more and more abbreviated until it wasentirely n on est

,and the midnight marauders had

actually excavated a socket in the corpus delictinearly half an inch deep .

By this time we had reached Bombay,and were

busy,with the aid of a swarming host of coolies

,

in getting rid of our grimy cargo . But some o nefound t ime to suggest that a place o f safety forSfisti should be found during the n ight, fearingthat

,unless something was done soon

,we Should

seek him o ne morning and find only a disembodiedsqueal . Consequently Sfisti was captured everyevening , and , protesting discordantly, was confinedin a coal—basket

,wh ich was carefully enclosed in

the after hatch house . The plan succeededadmirably

,so far that the diminution in our stock

o fpork ceased . But one morning , when the afterhold was empty

,the hatch house was lifted o ff as

usual and placed by the side o f the gaping hatchway

,its door open , and Sfisti ly ing, forgotten , in

his basket . All hands went to breakfast,wh ile

the cool ies below,as was their wont

,stopped work

,

and, squatting in the after - hold , held a conversaz io ne . In the middle of our meal there wasa hideous uproar

,and an eruption of the heathen

from all the hatchways,green ish-grey with fright

,

and swarming madly in every possible directionoverboard , aloft , anywhere . When at last wewere able to elic it from the demented crowd thereason fo r their panic

,we learned that as they

were all to il ing strenuously to prepare the coal for

Tale of the Boomerang P ig 2 3 5

a renewal o f o ur operations,d own into their midst

came flying a demon o f Jehannum in the guise o fa gigantic p ig

,with vast bat- like wings

,and eyes

o f the bigness o f a man’s fists glaring like red-hotcoals . What wonder that they had fled

,H indoo

and Mussulman alike,at the sight of their

abomination in such an avatar o f dread hurtlingdown upon their shaven crowns . The story sentus all seeking below

,l ittle dreaming that the luck

less Sfisti was to blame . Presently we found himlying by the side of the keelson

,badly hurt

,but

cheerful as ever . And with that indomitable pluckthat had endeared him to us all , he not only survived, but made a complete recovery within a week .

Now,however

,h is rotund body had taken a

curve,by reason o f which he always appeared to

be in the act of reaching around to look for thetail that had been . This pecul iar bent o f hisfigure had the strangest results whenever he tookexercise . Wherever h is goal might be

,and in

spite o f h is most energetic efforts to reach it,he

only succeeded in descr ibing what I am obliged tocall a lateral parabola

,along which he would

eventually arrive at some unforeseen spot near hisstarting—point . Nor were the co—efficien ts of hiscurves at all regular . Sometimes

,owing to the

energetic efforts he made to counteract this inevitable curvilinear bias

,a series o f maxima and

minima were produced which,when traced upon

the deck,afforded some very interesting problems

in the parallelograms of forces .


But I regret to record that the principalresult o f his errata was a decided increase in thelocal consumption o f Scotch whisky . Fo r ourj ovial skipper became so inordinately vain of hisboomerang pig that he issued invitations to hisfellow—captains in the harbour

,in quite a reckless

fashion,to come and see what an unprecedented

curio he had gotten . They came multitudinously,

came to scoff,but remained to grow purple with

laughter and lose all their loose change in betsupon the probable points of arrival made by Sfistiin h is gyratory gallops after sweet biscuits . Andthey returned to their several ships in a charmingvariety o f unconventional attitudes

,vocal but not

harmonious,at irregular intervals during the night .

Meanwhile Sfisti,pampered beyond even swinish

dreams of avarice,waxed fat and almost uncontrol

lable . ffoie de fvivre filled him from end to endfrom snout to socket . It seiz ed h im suddenly atall sorts of times

,causing him to squeal hysterically

,

waggle his incip ient hams momentarily,and then

launch h imself into space along the line o f somemarvellously complicated curve term inating in themost unexpected places .As long as Europeans were about him he was

safe,except for an occasional belabouring when he

chanced to upset some luckless passer-by. But wewere ordered round the coast to Cocanada in ballast ,and

,to expedite o ur loading there

,took a number

of coolies with us . On the day of our arrival,

and shortly after anchoring,all hands were seated

XXV I I

A DAY ON THE SOLANDERWHAL I N G—GR OUND

A BR IGHT sunny morning ; the gentle north !

easterly breeze just keeping the sails full as thelumbering whaling—barque Splendid dips j erkilyto the o ld southerly swell . Astern

,the blue hills

around Preservation Inlet lie shimmering in thesoft spring sunlight

,and on the port beam the

mighty pillar o f the Solander Rock,lying o ff the

south - western extremity of New Zealand,is

sharply outlined against the steel—blue sky. Farbeyond that stern sentinel

,the converging Shores

o f Fo veaux Strait are just discern ible in dimoutline through a low haze . Ahead

,the j agged

and formidable rocks of Stewart Island,bathed in

a mellow golden glow,give no hint of their

terrible appearance what time the Storm-fiend o f

the south—west cries havoc and urges on hischariot of war .The keen- eyed Kanaka in the fore crow’s nest

shades his eyes with his hand,peering earnestly

o ut o n the weather bow at something which has

Solander Whal ing—G round 2 3 9

attracted his attention . A tiny plume o f vapourrises from the blue hollows about ten miles away

,

but so faint and indefinable that it may be onlya breaking wavelet’s crest caught by the crosswind . Again that little bushy j et breaks themonotony o f the sea ; but this time there isno mistaking it . Emerging diagonally from thewater

,not high and thin , but low and spreading ,

it is an infall ible indication to those pierc ing eyeso f the presence o f a sperm-whale . The watcherutters a long

,low musical cry

,

“ B lo—o—o - o—w,

”

which penetrates the gloomy recesses o f fo’

ksle

and cuddy,where the slumberers immediately

engage in fierce conflict with whales of a sizenever seen by waking eyes . The officer andwh ite seamen at the main now take up the cry

,

and in a few seconds all hands are swiftly yetsilently preparing to leave the ship . She is putabout , making a course which shortly brings hera mile o r two to windward o f the slowly-movingcachalot . Now it is evident that no solitarywhale is in sight

,but a great school

,gambolling

in the bright spray . One occasionally,in pure

exuberance of its tremendous vital ity,springs

twenty feet into the clear air,and falls

,a hundred

tons of massive flesh,with earthquake—like com

motion,back into the sea.

Having got the weather—gage,the boats are

lowered ; sail is immediately set,and

,l ike swift

huge-winged birds,they swoop down upon the

prey . Driving right upon the back o f the nearest

24 0 Idyll s o f the Sea

monster,two harpoons are plunged into his body

up to the h itches .” The sheet is at on ce hauledaft

,and the boat flies up into the wind wh ile the

terrified cetacean vainly tries,by tremendous

writhing and plunging,to rid himself of the

barbed weapon . The mast is unshipped,and

snugly stowed away ; oars are handled , andpreparation made to deliver the coup de grdce.

But finding his efforts futile,the whale has

sounded,and his reappearance must be awaited .

Two boats’ l ines are taken o ut before the slackening comes

,and he slowly rises again . Faster and

faster the line comes in ; the blue depths turn acreamy white

,and it i s Stern all ” for dear life .

Up he comes,with j aws gap ing twenty feet wide

,

gleaming teeth and livid,cavernous throat glitter

ing in the brilliant light . But the boat’s crew areseasoned hands

,to whom this dread Sight is

familiar,and orders are quietly obeyed

,the boat

backing,circling and darting ahead like a sentient

thing under their united efforts . So the infuriatedmammal is baflied and dodged , while thrust afterthrust of the long lances are got home

,and

streamlets of blood trickling over the edges o f

h is spout—hole give warning that the end is near .A few wild circlings at tremendous speed

,j aws

clashing and blood foam ing In torrents from thespiracle

,o ne mighty leap into the air

,and the

ocean monarch is dead . He lies just awash,

gently undulated by the long,low swell

,one

pectoral fin slowly waving like some great stray

Idylls of the Sea

crawl tortoise- like before the wind— lucky , indeed ,to have a harbour ahead where the whale maybe cut in

,even though it be forty miles away .

Without that refuge available,she could not hope

to keep the sea and hold her prize through thewild weather

,now so near . So

,with a heavy

heart,the captain orders the fast boat to abandon

her whale and return with all possible speed . Thebreeze is freshening fast

,and all sail is made fo r

Port William . So slow i s the progress,that it is

past midnight before that snug shelter is reached,

although for the last four hours the o ld ship isterribly tried and strained by the press o f sailcarried to such a gale .

In four days the work o f getting the o il isfin ished

,and three or four Maoris ashore have

made a tun and a half of good clear oil from theabandoned carcass . This

,added to the ship ’s

quantity,makes twelve and a half tuns of o il and

spermaceti mingled from the one fish . Nonesmaller has been noticed o ut of the hundredsseen o n the same day . It is eighteen days fromthe time o f anchoring before the harbour canagain be quitted

,owing to adverse winds and

gales . Who can estimate the number of o ppo rtun ities lost in that time ? On the second dayafter reaching the grounds

,another school is seen

with the same result— one fish,and another fort

night’s enforced idleness .This is no imaginary sketch

,but a faithful

record of actual facts,which

,with slight var iations

,

Solander Whal ing—G round 24 3

has been repeated many times within the writer’sexperience . On o ne occasion there were four o f

us o n the ground in company— three Americans,

and o ne colonial . Each secured a whale beforedusk . We kept away at once fo r Port Will iam

,

fearing the shifting of the wind,which would

bring us o n a ragged,lee shore . The Americans

,

being strangers to the coast,hauled o ff to the

westward . Five days afterwards,as we were

cleaning ship after trying out,those three ships

came creep ing in to the harbour through theeastern end of Fo veaux Strait

,all sadly damaged

,

and o f course whaleless. They had been batteredby the furious gale all that time

,and barely

escaped destruction on the Snares . Two o f themleft the grounds a few days after

,having had their

fill of the Solander . Thus , it is obvious thatnothing but steam is needed to make thismost prolific o f whaling—grounds a ver itabletreasure—field. Cutting in and try ing out at sea

could be entirely dispensed with . The magnificentland- locked harbour o f Preservation Inlet, to saynothing o f others easily available , affords completefacilit ies for a shore station . The water is inmany cases forty or fifty fathoms deep alongsidethe rocks

,while sheltered nooks abound

,where

never wind blows loudly .

Working by the share,no finer o r more skilful

whalemen exist than the half-breed Maoris whopeople Stewart Island

,and they would j oyfully wel

come such a grand opportunity of making their p ile .


Long before the Antarctic Expedition fromDundee left o ur shores

,the mer its o f th is grand

field for whaling operation s were discussed atlength by the writer in the columns of a Dundeepaper

,and strongly advocated but those respo n

sible fo r the management of that venture wereevidently so wedded to Greenland methods thatthe advice was unheeded . Perhaps the unpro fitable issue o f the enterprise as far as whales wereconcerned may dispose the adventurers to takeadvice

,and try sperm - whaling in the temperate

zone,in place o f right—whaling in the far south .

Should they do so,there is every reason to hope

and believe that the palmy days of the spermwhale fishery may be renewed . Dundee firms o fto day may then

,like Messrs . Enderby of London

in 1 820-

30 ,gladly welcome home ship after ship

,

full to the hatches with the valuable spoil of theSouthern Seas .

NOTE—S ince the abo ve was written it has been the writer’s melancho lyduty to chro n icle the final disappearance o fthe British Whale Fishery.


There are,however

,some seals that, from their

bulk and ferocious appearance , actually inviteattack from those ardent sportsmen who onlylong for sight o f game worthy of hunting . Thesea- elephant (Macrorhinus prohoscideus) , uponfirst acquaintance

,seems

,as o ur transatlantic

friends concisely express it,

“ to fill the bill ” inthese respects . In size he is little inferior to thehuge quadruped after which he has been named

,

although,owing to the absence o f legs, he will

not look so bulky as the elephant . The possession o f a rudimentary trunk o f a foot o r soin length has probably had little to do with thetrivial appellation given to this great Phoca, . hisenormous size as compared with the ordinaryseal being warrant enough for the name . Sincethe sea- elephant’s h ide is almost hairless

,only the

massive coating of blubber he carries can excitethe cupidity o f the hunter

,and then only in the

absence o f anything that may be easier o btained .

During the course of a whaling voyage downSouth it was the writer’s misfortune to visit theAuckland Islands in

_search of sea—elephants

,owing

to the unaccountable absence o f whales from theVicinity for an extraord inarily long time . No oneo f the ship ’s company had ever seen one of thecreatures before

,although most were well ac

quain ted with ordinary seal—hunting . When,

therefore , it was decided to v isit the lonely, stormtormented isles usually frequented by them therewas an utter absence of enthusiasm . Indeed

,

Sea—Elephants at Home 247

many openly expressed a strong desire to be wello ut of the business . But when once a course hasbeen decided upon at sea it needs strongermeasures and greater unanimity among the crewthan is often possessed to alter it

,and con

sequently,after a truly miserable time o f

contention with the inhospitality o f the SouthernOcean

,we found ourselves anchored in a fairly

well- sheltered bay at the Aucklands . The timeof o ur Visit was the antipodean spring

,a season

wh ich,in those latitudes

,is rigorous beyond belief.

Gales of wind,accompanied by hard snowflakes

and hail,raged almost incessantly

,enwrapping the

entire land surface in a bleak haze of spray fromthe sea

,mingled with the congealed moisture from

above Notw ithstanding these drawbacks,the

object of the expedition had to be pursued witho ut delay, parties were landed, armed with clubsof iron—wood

,short but massive

,and long

,keen

knives . General instructions were given as toprocedure

,based upon insuffi cient data

,as the

recip ients well knew,and therefore not at all

reliable . Everybody understood in a hazy sort ofway that a seal’s vulnerable point was h is nose :a tap on that was as paralysing as a bullet throughthe heart . Of course . And the subsequent proceedings were merely a matter of practice andstamina . Very good— o h

,very good indeed !

Thus equ ipped the explorers went blundering overboulders

,wading through morasses

,over fallen

tree—trunks and glassy ice—slopes,until suddenly


through the mist loomed up a massy shape . Po s

sibly it was exaggerated by the haze , but it lookedtruly terrific when it was seen to be alive . It wassurprising how little any o ne coveted the honouro f being first to attack the big seal in front ofthem . But for very shame’s sake there could beno halting on the sealers’ part .An appalling roar

,quite in keep ing with his

appearance,burst from the monster , at which a

most sympathetic thrill ran through the attackingparty

,accompanied by an earnest desire to be

somewhere else . Again that indefinite desire tostand well in each other’s opinion came to theirrescue

,impell ing the foremost man to fl ing his

fears to the winds and rush in upon the formidablebeast crouching before h im . A badly—aimed blowat the animal ’s snout made no more impressionthan a snow-flake

,but the unwieldy creature

,

thoroughly alarmed,dropped from his semi

rampant altitude,almost burying his daring

assailant beneath him as he did so . Then,like

some legless hippopotamus,he waddled seawards

,

rolling from side to side in a manner so utterlyludicrous that fear was totally quenched in anuproarious burst of laughter . Recovering fromthat revulsionary paroxysm

,all hands rushed upon

the retreat ing mass,each eager to be the first to

attack what we now saw to be a thoroughlydemoralised foe .

Out of the many harmless blows aimed at thegreat seal’s head o ne struck the root of his


had happened,the great bulk of the seal as it

swayed from side to side effectually hid ing thepuny form of the suffering enemy by its side . He ,poor wretch

,was in evil case ; for the sea

elephant has the alarm ing habit of crushing sol idpebbles of basalt or granite as large as orangesbetween h is j aws in much the same fashion as ahealthy youngster does lollypops . Probably thisstrange exercise o f the gigantic j aw power hepossesses is rendered necessary for digest ive purposes

,since no seal masticates its food .

Poor Sandy,who in such headlong fashion had

thrust h is arm into that awful m ill,n ow found to

his bitter cost what use might be made of thegenerally harmless sto nebreakers . After the firstblood—curdling scream we had heard there was anutter silence as far as our shipmate was concerned

,

only the soft floundering of the immense mass o fsl iding flesh and the snorting breath being audible.The mate was the first to realise what hadhappened , and with a howl o f anger he leapedforward

,bringing down h is club with all h is might

just as the creature stooped low for another launching movement seaward . The blow fell j ust at thej unction of the proboscis with the skull , and witha shudder which convulsed the whole mass of hisbody the huge an imal collapsed

,burying our un

happy shipmate beneath h im . With o ne impulsewe all sprang upon the heap of flesh , tearing w ithdesperate energy to roll it from o ff the body

,but

it really seemed at first impossible to move it .

Sea- E lephants at Home 2 5 1

Slipp ing,sl iding

,gasping for breath

,we all

pushed and strove-“ wasting,I doubt not

,more than

half our strength fo r want of preconcerted action .

Oh , j oy ; we moved him at last, and there laySandy to all appearance a corpse .Without any further delay we placed hIm In the

boat, hop ing that he was still alive , but by n o

means sure,and with all possible speed he was

taken on board . This sudden calamity seemedto paralyse the rest of us for the time

,and we all

stood about watching the departing boat,as if we

could not make up our minds to resume operations .But suddenly a dull

,thunderous roar startled us

from o ur lethargy,and looking landwards through

the driving sleet we saw the shapeless forms ofanother immense herd o f the ungainly monstersfloundering toward us . Man ifegtly we were in anunhealthy predicament

,and without waiting for

orders we fled in all directions but towards theadvancing herd . Through swampy patches o f

green,over frozen rocks

,torn by thorny shrubs

,

and incessantly dodg ing the blind onset of groupsof the wallowing monsters

,we scrambled unreason

ingly until— panting , breathless , and demoralisedwe halted from sheer inability to go farther .

When we had recovered it was some time beforewe got together again

,and when we did we were

a sorry crowd,as unfit as could well be imagined

for the tremendous labour that awaited us o f

skinning the huge carcasses that lay dotted aboutthe foreshore . However

,we commenced the task

,


and by nightfall had completed the flenching.

A gun from the Ship recalled us o n board almosttoo weary to launch the boats

,and plastered thickly

with mud,blood

,and grease . When we arrived

o n board we were too exhausted to eat , hardly ableto feel any interest in the news that Sandy wasal ive and doing as well as could be expected . Butone conviction was burnt deep into the perceptionsof all— that the hardest whaling ever done was apleasant pastime compared with sea- elephant hunting at the Aucklands .


sole representative of o ur available force,and

with a reputation yet to win,I must confess to a

little lack o f care,a nervous desire to distinguish

myself ; but I still think it was hard to havemy boat knocked into a litter of barrel stavesby the unanticipated somersault of my expected prize just as I reckoned upon deliveringa coup de lance in final settlement o f o ur littleaccount .After the surprise of o ur meeting had some

what subsided,I found myself reclining in a richly

carved and upholstered chair in my genial host’ssplendidly furnished reception room

,puffing with

appreciative enjoyment at one of his unapproachableRothschilds— ’beg pardon I ’m sure— I mean that Ifound myself clinging with no uncertain clutch toa capsized line- tub

,into which I succeeded in

getting after a series o f involuntary evolutions,

after having managed to swallow the majority o fa barrel o f salt water . While settling myself inmy ark like a faded Moses

,o ur late antagonist

drew near and watched me closely . AS soon as Iappeared to be compos mentis , he thus addressedmeWhat you settin’ there fur a-gappin

’ at me’sif y

’

didn’

t know who I wuz .

”

I humblybeg your Maj esty’s pardon ; I meant

no offence,I assure yo u. But I perceive you are

an American citizen .

Perseev’ nothin ’

, y’

abbrevyated galoot,

growled he . Hain ’t enny persepshun’baout ye

,

An Interview 2 5 5’

r y’

ewd see I ’m waitin ’ ter be interviewed,same’s

all th’ other sellebritiz .

Now,although I do believe that the j ournalist is

nascitur, non fit, my nascent j ournalism if existentwas decidedly latent

,and at present I was indubitably

unfit for anything but a rescue o r two . But herewas a unique chance o f becoming famous

,and

though modest and retiring to the last degree,I

rose to the occasion . A few fragmentary re

collections marshalled themselves,and I asked

insinuatinglyHow o ld is your Maj estyOne tho usan ’ four hunderd seasons, he replied

promptly .

As soon as I recovered my breath,I answered

politely,

“ Indeed ! Your Maj esty wears well . Ishould hardly have thought it . Are your Majesty’sparents livingHow’d I know

,he grumbled

,peeping

fiercely at me o ut o f the corner o fhis starboardeye . “ Don’t go much o n parien ts ermo ng o ur

peepul . Next pleaseWhere did your venerability do us the honour

to be born,if the question be allowable I queried

timidly .

Here,he roared

,with a resound ing crash o f

his enormous tail o n the surface where’dye th inkI ’d be born but at sea?Deficient in locality evidently

,I thought

,being

a bit o f a phrenologist myself, though it wouldhave required a theodolite to survey the bumps


upon his capacious cranium . But as he showedsigns o f irritability

,I added quickly

,

“Are youmarried

,your Ma

'

esty, o r how ?”

Well I should cackle,

” he said married,hay !

Why one of your (an awful reverberation suggesteda powerful adj ective) slush- tubs hez j est broke upo n e uv the purtiest little harems I ever collected

,

twelve ravishin ’ beauties sech ez any mo nark’

d beproud of. Well thar

,hurry up ; I

’m jest remindedo v an o le schoolmate uv mine ’

s got mose ’

s gooderwun . He’s usin’ roun’ the Bo n ins ’baout now

,

’

n’

I mus’ git over thar ’

n’

b’

reave him . Royal rights,

y’

kn ow,

” and h is Majesty shed a ponderous wink .

What does your Maj esty do for a living ?” Iventured to inquire .Eat ! he roared . Harpoons en bomb-guns

,

what dz en nybo dydu fr a livin’

I never heerdsech a barnacle- headed grampus ’

n all myWith that he lifted up his tremendous caput out o fwater and exposed his Blackwall tunnel of a mouth

,

as who should remark,Not much room for

other occupation in a whale’s life when a gulf likethis needs attention .

”

I suppose I looked a bit preoccup ied,for he

hastily added,But I never eat sech insecks ez yo u

be n

What,never I ventured to murmur .

No,never

,

” he repl ied ; at least,that is ,

but seeing his hesitation, I said I fancied I’d hearda story about a passenger by the name of Jonahdown on the Syrian coast a while back . Oh , well


irons drew . They galled me like sixty, but I wasfree .

“Then a left—handed—o n—both—feet crowd eo ut o va French right—whaler tackled me o ffn the Cape .Mighty big mistake they struck— thought I wuzpore ole say

- nothin’—ter—nobody Mr . Cetus,they

did ’N’

,when I milled roun’ ’

n’ cum f ’r ’em

eend on ’ith er twenty foot smile o n me hed !airthqueeks

’

n’

vo lcan o se ! y ’ sh’

d j est er seen ’emflew . Didn’ wait to say howdy , j est cut l ine _ ’n ’vamoosed like ’Sif ole Jemmy Smallback wuz after’em . I wuz thet mad , I

’d liketer hev busted uptheir ole hooker ’

n’ all

,but thet thar Essex affair

gin me sech er swell’

d hed I ’lowed it warn ’t badreck

’

n in’ ter let her go et that .

Say,dj ever see er big squ id , big

’s me hequeried sharply .

“ Yes,your Majesty

,I did once . Only once .

B b—b—ayofB—b-bengal ,”fo r I was almost moribund .

Ah,you hev seen suthin

’ then . F’

r yewin secks wut live on top don’t offen git a chanceter see them critters ’less we bring ’em up f ’r thesun ter see haow gaul—darned ugly they air . Wallo ne l ike yew say yew seen tangled erp my fav

’

rit

wife o ff Futuna one afternoon . Me an ’ my haremwuz feedin ’ at ’bout a tho usan ’ fathom , an

’ Pollyj est sidled up ter o le Jellybelly ’

n’ got hole o v a

mouthful o v him . He,bein’ kinder s

’

prised,gripped her all over ter onst ; ’

n’

,stranger

,

” headded impressively

,

“ I’ll be weather—bound ef hedidn’t frap her hole head up so

’

s she couldn’t bite

An Interview 2 5 9

er breathe . We’d ben down ’bout long ern o ugh

too,but I sailed right 1n ’n b’ it h is great Cark iss

in half az well az I c’

md see f ’r his ink—cloud .

Hows’ever I wuz to o late,f ’r he’d locked his

tangle o v arms roun ’ an’ roun ’ her hed,

’

n’ though

h is body wuz all chawed erp they couldn ’ comeadrift . So she drowned

,

’

n we all hed ter maketracks upstairs quicker ’

n winkin’ er we sh’

d a hendrowned tu . As ’

twuz we wuz fair beat out whenwe arro ve up top .

D id I ever have enny fights with me own

people ? Well I— but there , how’d yew know

,

poor th ing . Millyun s o v’em . Look at me

,

”

and he swept proudly past exhibiting h is groovedand ribbed flanks bearing indelible traces of manya furious battle

,some o f the foot-wide scars being

twenty feet long .

“ Enny more info rmashun I c’

n supply yewwith at short notice bekuz this sessio n ’

ll hev teradj urn siny die in

"

about tewminn its . I ’m gittin ’mos ’ amaz in ’ peckish .

”

Happy thought,What do you live on mostly ,

your Maj estySquid . Fust ’

n las’

n between meals gen’l .yThey aint nothin ’ bettern tew eat in the hullworl ’ ’

z far’s I know. We dew ’

casio nally git abellyful o v fish o v sorts by layin’ quiet whenthe shoals air swarmin ’

. They run down a feller’sgullet in hunderds ’

n never know whar they ’regoin . But they’re cussid ind igestibleI was alone . There was nothing in sight

,but


my interviewee was gone . So stiff and sore was Ithat I could hardly turn my head to see if helpwas coming . There was no help in sight that Icould discover

,but presently a boat came along

from the ship and p icked me up— none too soon .

G loomily we returned on board to moral isemournfully over our ill- luck and the perfidy ofsperm whales generally .


let me do it . But an ounce of experience isworth a ton of theory

,even such gilt-edged theory

as mine— at least most of us work on the l ines o fth is well-worn proverb . So my experience

,which

is herein set forth,must necessar ily be considered

as the most valuable contribution to o urknowledgeof waterspoutery or trombe—o o nery that has everyet appeared . I might claim more for it thanthis

,but modesty was ever a fail ing of mine .On 23rd August last , then , I was leaning over

the taffrail of an anc ient barque,of wh ich I was

“ only ” mate,homeward bound from Iquique to

Falmo uth for orders . We had reached the horselatitudes

,those detestable regions embracing the

debatable area between the l im its of the north- eastand south—east trade winds . Here yo u may havesuch an exhibition o f what the skies are capable o fin the matter of rain as nowhere else in the world .

For days together the weather will cons ist ofsqualls— not much wind in them as a rule— fromall points of the compass

,but rain— well

,o ne

might almost as well be l iving beneath an oceanof which the bottom is given to fall ing outoccasionally . And as all this tremendous rainfallcomes from the sea

,the replenishment of the

supply upstairs keeps the pumping mach inerygoing constantly. It is no uncommon sight tosee forty o r fifty waterspouts in various stageso f their career at one time . On this particularafternoon there was quite a forest of them about

,

but as yet none o f them had come within less than

! p a Waterspout 26 3

two or three miles o f the ship . I t was my watchbelow, and the air being stifling down in themurky little cabin

,I was enj oying a pipe and a

little cool breeze that had been blowing for abouttwenty minutes in the right direction . The oldhooker was wriggling along about two o r threeknots - sufficien tly fast to induce me to trywhether some members o f a sociable school o f

dolphins that were playing about us could begulled into biting at a bit of white rag I was trailing

,

which concealed a form idable hook . The “ oldman was below

,seated at the cabin table

,

wrestling with his day’s reckoning not oversuccessfully

,fo r his grumbling expletives were

now and then audible through the wide—openSkylight

,the man at the wheel gazing Skyward

with a comical expression o f innocence wheneverhe met my eye after an extra heavy blast frombelow . The antics of the fish beneath me so

fully occupied my attention that the near approacho f a waterspout along the starboard beam did notattract my notice . In any case , the weather wasno affair of mine

,the bo ’sun being in charge

,

though,as usual in these undermanned vessels

,

up to his elbows in tar,away forward somewhere .

But suddenly the gloom became so heavy and thechill in the air so evident

,that I looked up wonder

ing whence the squall had arrived at such shortnotice . At that moment a big dolphin who hadbeen tantalising me for a long time seized myhook . I had only two o r three fathoms o f line


o ut,and being balanced upon the taffrail

,the jerk

was suffi ciently forceful to make me turn a backsomersault overboard . The last thing I saw wasthe helmsman’s face blank with utter amazementat my sudden exit . I struck the water end- o n

,

going pretty deep,but o n returning to the surface

was horrified to find myself the centre o f awhirling

,seething commotion

,as if some unseen

giant was stirring the sea with a mighty spoon .

The gyrations I was compelled to perform mademe quite giddy and Sick

,although my head kept

so well above water that I was in no danger o f

drowning . Faster and faster yet I was whirledaround

,while a dense fo g seemed to rise all

round,shutting o ut everything from View behind

an impenetrable white curtain .

I have often noticed that if yo u tuck a chicken’s

head under its wing and give it a gentle circularmotion it will “ stay put ” in any position youlike for an indefinite length o f time

,although the

brightness o f its eyes and its regular respirationshows that it is all there .” Thus it was withme . I was certainly all there

,but the spinning

business had reduced me to a hypnotised o r

mesmerised condition,in which I was incapable o f

independent volition,while keenly conscious of

all that was go ing o n . I became aware o f anupward movement

,a sort of spiral ascension

,as if

I was attached to one of the threads of a giganticvertical screw that was being withdrawn by a steadyleft-handed revolution . Also , it was very wet ,


my case,unfortunately

,the fall came too . It

seemed to occupy hours . While I came hurtlingfrom the heavens I remembered with satisfactionthat the wife would get her half—pay right up tothe end o f the voyage

,and I fervently hoped she

had kept my insurance premiums paid up . Thenthe great solemn seasprang up to meet me . Therewas a Number One splash

,a rush of salt water in my

ears,and the blessed daylight once more . Right

close to me was the ship,all hands gaping over the

side at me as if I was a spook and never a o ne

offering to heave me a line . The manner o f myreappearance seemed to have knocked them all silly .

All except the o ld man,that is . He stooped

deliberately,picked up the co il o f the main topsail

brace,and hove it at me . It fell all about me in a

tangle,but I managed to get hold o f the standing

part,which I froze to tight

,while the skipper

hauled me alongside . Feeling numb and stupid,

I yet managed to haul myself o n board , and withall the chaps gap ing at me with protruding eyes

,

staggered up o n to the poop . The skipper metme with a scowl

,saying grimly

,Looky here

,Mr .

Brown,the next time you quit this ship

,with my

leave o r without, you’ll stay there .” I felt hurt,

but disinclined to talk back, so I went below tochange my dunnage and enter up my log—book.

· preface ln these little sketches o f a few out o f the innumerable multitude of ways in which...

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