88 INVALIDISM AND ITALY. 



height of several feet. Thus persecuted above, and find- 

 ing no rest below, they seemed to attempt a middle 

 course, and just flirted over the sea, sometimes in and 

 sometimes out, according as their aerial or aquatic tyrants 

 proved the most relentless. This singular, though most 

 unfair, pursuit seemed to reverse the order of nature ; for 

 in their eagerness the gulls frequently darted with their 

 finny prey beneath the waves, whilst with still greater 

 impetuosity the bonitos sprung after them into the at- 

 mosphere. A harder lot than that of a flying-fish under 

 such circumstances, I do not know. Its state is a degree 

 worse than that of the animal which ' dies on the land, 

 and cannot live in the water.' 



"Sept 15, Friday. — The wind is fair and the weather 

 fine, and if matters remain as they are now for a couple 

 of clays longer, we shall surely behold Genoa in all its 

 pride of place. There has been another superficial war 

 waging to-day between the gulls, bonitos, and flying-fish. 

 Some albicores also favoured us with their company for 

 several hours, and the beautiful pilot-fish again shewed 

 themselves alongside. During a former voyage, our 

 vessel was attended by eleven albicores for two entire 

 days. They followed her into Genoa, and were every one 

 caught by the natives. I suspect that the reason which 

 both they and the bonitos would assign for following 

 ships, is their greater chance of securing the smaller fish, 



