476 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



see the bottom of the sea as plainly as Clarence 

 beheld it in his dream. Numberless fish were 

 distinctly visible, amongst which were dolphin, 

 baracouta, gar-fish, silver eels, cat-fish of strange 

 dimensions, mullet, and a large carp-like looking 

 fish of a golden red colour. Whilst I was amusing 

 myself with watching the manoeuvres of these in- 

 habitants of the deep, I saw a huge shark come 

 gliding stealthily along very deep in the water, 

 just below the stern of the' boat. In the circum- 

 scribed limits of the cavern he might have proved 

 an awkward customer, so, pulling clear of him, I 

 took one of the young boobies and flung him with 

 a splash into the water a short distance astern of 

 the boat. In a moment the monster rose, and, as 

 he was turning over to swallow his prey, I gave 

 him the contents of two barrels in the head, which 

 ended his career, for, turning belly upwards, he 

 sunk down to the bottom, crimsoning the clear 

 water with his life-blood. Having explored this 

 curious place, we continued our voyage to San 

 Antonio, where I called upon the Governor, a dried- 

 up old stick, who never even ofi'ered me " the bite 



