49 

 canth.' I said it was a Coelacanth. He shook his head in sorrow. 

 'No, man,' he said; 'I have just been talking to X [a scientist], 

 and he says you are crazy, that it is only a Rock Cod with a 

 mutilated and regenerated tail.' I dealt gently with him and my 

 lack of concern shook his doubts, but he was not convinced. 



Cables, telegrams, and letters from near by had almost drowned 

 us, and soon the overseas correspondence developed into a flood. 

 All scientists were frantic for information. It was an incredible 

 time. 



There was among many others a trunk-call from the editor of a 

 well-known daily paper about the fish ! *Dr. Smith, are you quite 

 positive that what you say is true?' 'No !' 'No 1 Then how could 

 you have said it?' T didn't. What I said and what I say is, that as 

 far as my knowledge, experience, and observations go this is a 

 true Coelacanth.' 'What is the diiference?' My answer was, 'If 

 you showed me a flower and said "Is that blue", even if it looked 

 blue to me as a scientist my attitude would be "I should say it is 

 blue" not "It is blue".' Somewhat bewildered words from his 

 end concluded the interview. 



Possibly because I had been so incredulous myself, it was 

 staggering to receive no incredulity from overseas scientists. One 

 prominent American scientist wrote to say that he had been 

 called up late at night by the editor of an important paper who 

 told him that they had got a report from South Africa that a live 

 Coelacanth had been found. He supposed it was just hot air. This 

 man asked who had said so. He replied a man named Smith. 

 'J. L. B. Smith?' 'Yes.' 'Well, then, I think you should be safe to 

 go ahead and publish.' 



I set to and from a general preliminary examination of the chief 

 external features prepared an outline description of the creature. 

 This with a photograph was sent to Nature in London, and 

 appeared on the i8th March 1939. If anyone anywhere had any 

 doubts, that article killed and buried them. There never were any 

 more, not even here in my own country. 



I had sent a scale of the Coelacanth to a scientist correspondent- 

 friend in the U.S.A. In replying to express thanks he said that 

 this had been received in a solemn scientific meeting. He showed 

 it to a colleague, and the excitement that followed just about 

 disrupted the whole affair. 



