64 ST. PAUL'S ROCKS. 



that at St. Vincent, Cape Verde Islands. The only seaweeds, 

 however, growing in these pools were encrusting nullipores 

 ( Corallinacece) . 



Numerous Cavalli had been caught by the men fishing from 

 off the rocks in the morning. Lieutenant Aldrich started fish- 

 ing for them with a salmon rod and tackle. The fish fought for 

 the bait, racing after it as it was drawn along the top of the 

 water in the small bay. One could pick out the largest fish in 

 the shoal and manoeuvre the bait with the rod, so as to prevent 

 any but that one taking it. The fish showed fine sport, and I 

 broke my salmon rod over one of them in trying how hard I 

 could give him the butt ; we played them until tired out, and 

 then gafted them. 



The Cavalli bite best in the early morning and at night ; at 

 noon and in the afternoon they seem to cease feeding, and as 

 soon as they leave the field open, shoals of trigger-fish (Ba/isfes), 

 a species of a sooty black colour with a blue streak along the 

 base of the anal and posterior dorsal fins, appear on the scene, 

 and rush at the baits and soon clear the hooks, being nearly 

 safe from being hooked because of the smallness of their 

 mouths. These fish are quite fearless and are small, weighing 

 only about one pound, and of no use for food. 



With these fish appears a bright red and green Wrasse 

 (^Labriis), and a small blue Choetodon with dark stripes. Three 

 other fish which I saw caught were a Barracuda pike {^Sphyrana 

 barracuda)^ a yellow eel with black spots I^Miiratia), and a red 

 Beryx. A Rock-lobster, a small Palinurus, is very common 

 about the rocks, and is to be seen clinging to the rock, having 

 crawled just above the reach of the waves. I caught some of 

 these in lobster pots which I set for them. 



Late in the afternoon I had to procure three boobies for 

 stuffing. They are by no means so foolish as their name would 

 imply. They had learnt by experience, even in a day, and I 

 now had considerable difficulty in getting within shot of the 

 old birds. 



I climbed the highest peak, which is 64 feet above sea 

 level ; the top affords only just standing room ; from it one 

 sees the whole of the rocks, and their smallness in size is most 

 striking ; here is an island group 540 miles distant from the 

 nearest mainland, and yet not nearly so large as, say, the 

 Holmes in the Bristol Channel. 



The group consists of five peaks of rock, disposed in four 

 principal masses which are separated by three narrow channels, 

 through which the surf perpetually roars and boils ; over one 

 of these channels it is possible to cross at low water, the tide 

 rising and falling here about five feet. The rocks are disposed 



