[49] MATERIALS FOR A HISTORY OF THE SWORD-FISHES 337 
41. PUGNACITY OF THE SPEAR-FISH. 
The Spear-fish (Tetrapturus albidus, &c.) also strikes vessels. I am 
indebted to Capt. William Spicer, of Noank, Conn., for this note: 
Mr. William Taylor, of Mystic, a man seventy-six years old, who was in 
the smack ‘Evergreen’, Capt. John Appleman, states that he started 
from Mystic, October 35, 1832, on a fishing voyage to Key West, in com- 
pany with the smack ‘ Morning Star,’ Captain Rowland. On the 12th 
they were off Cape Hatteras, the wind blowing heavily from the north- 
east, and the smack under double-reefed sails. gAt ten o’clock in the 
evening they were struck by a ‘ Woho’ (sic), which shocked the vessel 
all over. The smack was leaking badly, and they made a signal to the 
‘Morning Star’ to keep close by them. The next morning they found the 
leak, and both smacks kept off to Charleston. On arrival they took out 
the ballast, hove her out, and found that the sword had gone through 
the planking, timber, and ceiling. The plank was 2 inches thick, the 
timber 5 inches, and the ceiling 14 inches white oak. The sword pro- 
jected 2 inches through the ceiling, on the inside of the ‘“after-run”.* 
It struck close by a butt on the outside, which caused the leak. They 
took out and replaced a piece of the plank, and proceeded on their 
voyage.” 
J. Matthew Jones, esq., of Halifax, N. S., in his delightful little book 
“The Naturalist in Bermuda”, records the case of the Bermudian 
schooner ‘“ Karl Dundonald”, arrived in the port of Hamilton, which 
was pierced by one of these formidable fish off the coast of British 
Guiana. 
In the museum of Charleston College, Charleston, S. C., is preserved 
a fragment of the snout of a Bayonet-fish, apparently Tetrapturus albi- 
dus. By the kindness of the curator, Dr. G. E. Manigault, I was allowed 
to examine it and copy the label, which reads as follows: “The brig 
‘Amsterdam’, bound to Charleston, owned by F. C. Bray, was struck in 
the Gulf Stream by a monster or Sword-fish, which caused the vessel to 
leak considerably. By great exertion she was kept free, and gained the 
port in safety.” 
Messrs. Foster, Waterman & Co., of Boston, presented to the Boston 
Society of Natural History, in 1869, a plank of Southern pine perforated 
by and containing a portion of the sword of a Sword-fish (Histiophorus) 
from the side of the ship ‘ Pocahontas”, owned by them. (Proc. Bost. 
Soe. Nat. Hist. xiii, 1869, p. 64.) 
- 42,— ATTACKS OF THE SWORD-FISH UPON WHALES. 
One of the traditions of the sea, time-honored, believed by all mari- 
ners, handed down in varied phases in a hundred books of ocean travel, 
relates to the terrific combats between the whale and the Sword-fish, 
aided by the thrasher-shark. The Sword-fish was said to attack from 
*A hold under the cabin. 
S. Mis. 29-——22 
