24 PROLEGOMENON. 



awful whales and sword-fish of those hottomless pits and 

 maelstroms of the money-power, including, of course, inte- 

 resting bouts with the shark, the beautiful shark, who is the 

 purest and most perfect symbol and representative of the 

 poetic and ecstatic lover of the dollar for its naked beauty. 

 The whale is somewhat peculiar and dainty in his appetite 

 and shape of food, (having a gourmand's taste for the "elio 

 borealis,") as are also some other monsters of the deep; 

 but that omnivorous glutton, the all-loving shark, swallows 

 promiscuously like "Time, the hungry hyena!" every 

 thing, including grossest elements, but is clearest and most 

 emphatic in his appreciation and epicurean perception of the 

 delicacy of human flesh, which, like that kingly rascal the 

 lion, he always prefers. Very frequent contact with this 

 individual all teeth andstomach was necessary in the finan- 

 cial department of the Sanatarium, and also, of course, 

 with his friend the pilot-fish, (scomber ductor.) This is 

 a servile but faithful retainer, attendant, and slave of the 

 shark, who is supposed to scent out for and report to him 

 the secrets of the ocean on the subjects of garbage, carrion, 

 and "grab-game" in general. He also seems to exercise a 

 kind of guardianship over his sharkish excellency, (an 

 extremely fallen form of the guardian angel,) attending 

 him assiduously, protecting him from dangers of all kinds, 

 fondling with him, and flattering him with devotion. Of 

 this fidelity wonderful instances are recorded, as in the 

 story of Captain Richards, of the Royal JSTavy. "A shark, 

 attracted by a corpse that had been thrown overboard, fol- 

 lowed the vessel. A hook was baited to catch him ; but, 

 in the language of the captain, the shark, attended by four 

 pilot-fish, repeatedly approached the bait, and every time 

 that he did so one of the pilots preceding him was distinctly 

 seen from the taffrail of the ship to run his snout against 

 the side of the shark's head to turn it away. After some 

 further play, the fish swam off in the wake of the vessel, 

 his dorsal fin being long distinctly visible above the water. 

 When he had gone a considerable distance, he suddenly 



