RIVER CRAYFISH. 113 



old crabs, who have it all their o^Yn way down amongst the 

 branching coralines and vase-shaped sponges, and crawl 

 to their very hearts' content over the piles of sunl^en 

 treasures scattered there. Treasures are there, too, not 

 of man's garnering, growing like rich sea-flowers be- 

 neath the waves. The sea feathers, or 2'>lume corals, are 

 examples of these, and are found sprouting, like ocean 

 fern-leaves, from the rock cave's ledges, far down in the 

 deep still water between the reefs j and we shall see 

 how a love for the beauty of J^ature's handiwork not 

 only led to the crabs being deprived of their hoard, 

 but, favoured by good fortune, proved a guide to wealth, 

 station, and ultimately, nobility. Thus goes the story, 

 whicli, unlike many of a somewhat similar kind, has 

 the priceless advantage of being literally true. In the 

 year 1650, one Phipps, a blacksmith, of Pemaquid, in 

 Kew England, was blessed with a son, who was chris- 

 tened William, and who in very early life manifested 

 much ingenuity and a passion for ship-building. Very 

 shortly after the term of his apprenticeship to a ship- 

 wright had expired, he built a vessel for himself, which 

 he navigated in person ; and hearing it reported that a 

 Spanish ship, freighted with bullion, had sunli in the 

 neighbourhood of the Bahamas, he at once betook him- 

 self to the scene of the disaster, and made the most 

 determined but fruitless efforts to recover the lost gold. 

 Treasure-seeking now appears to have become a fixed 



I 



