A STONE FISH. 399 



me, if not met in time by a quick, straight blow, would 

 assuredly entail a double death ; so, deeming myself 

 quite safe, and the thought of just enough value to enhance 

 the beauty of my position, I remained a little longer, 

 caught a small cray-fish on the rock at my foot, and then 

 motioned my guide to return, as there was no passing 

 each other there, nor any possibility of my taking prece 

 dence. When we got back from beneath the Falls my 

 guide told me I had been further than usual, so I returned 

 by myself and stepped the distance, which, without in 

 cluding the outer cascade, separated by the fall of a por 

 tion of the rock, was upwards of twenty-seven yards. 



On taking off my said-to-be waterproof dress, I found 

 myself quite wet through, when, having dismissed my 

 guide, I again went above the Falls, and walked some 

 way by the side of the river as it rushes to take the 

 final leap. On returning I observed that, as a protec 

 tion to the bank, just on a level with the Falls, one or 

 two small sort of stone piers had been made, and by 

 leaping from one to the other I attained the outer 

 most, and stood on it, just above the Falls, and with the 

 water rushing by me. Among the loose large stones of 

 which this pier was made I found one with the complete 

 ossification of the mullet on it even to the feelers I sup 

 pose I must call them at either corner of the mouth. 

 With this treasured reminiscence of the place, though very 

 heavy, I contrived to leap back, when by a whistle I pro 

 cured the attention of my black friend, and desired him 

 with a hammer to sever the fish from a large portion of the 

 rock attached. My black, pleased, I suppose, with former 

 liberality, hit the stone, in spite of my caution to be gen 

 tle, so zealously, that he split my fish, but not so much 

 as to destroy its proportions, and I brought it, with my 



