186 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



canary colour, weighing twenty pounds ; I tried 

 to preserve this fish, but the colour faded. 



Whilst we were at anchor off a point fishing 

 we heard a great commotion in the water to 

 seaward, and looking in that direction we saw 

 a shoal of gar, or pipe fish, making towards the 

 boat in a succession of frantic leaps, closely 

 pursued by two enormous fish, which seemed 

 intent upon their capture; so terrified were 

 the wretched gar fish that they rushed head- 

 long against the boat, rattling on her side like 

 a shower of grape shot, and leaving many of 

 their number dead upon the surface. 



We soon afterwards returned on board, and 

 getting under weigh we ran through the 

 channel separating James' Island from the 

 adjacent one of Albemarle. 



Our seal lived for ten days in the punt, which 

 was regularly filled with salt water every morn- 

 ing and drawn off after it had had its bath. It 

 refused the only food we had to offer, indeed it 

 was not to be expected that it would take 

 kindly to a regimen of salt beef and biscuit, and 



