ANGEL OR DEVIL FISH. 261 



i 

 monly called pilot-fishes) attached to the devil's 

 belly ; whereupon Pluto and Mr. Stiltman explained 

 to me that these parasites frequent the schools of 

 devil fish, and live upon the remains which the 

 larger fish leave behind. 



A few days after this, Mr. Stiltman (who is one 

 of the most zealous fishermen I ever met with, either 

 in the Old World or the New), invited me once more 

 to go after some devil fish which had appeared in 

 the neighbourhood. They had been seen by a black 

 who was coming home from crab and oyster fishing 

 for his master^s table, and they were close at hand. 

 We were not long in starting, and in ten minutes 

 our bow was well aimed at a dozen splendid devil 

 fish who were gambolling about within half a mile 

 of shore. The weather was rather foggy, but the 

 sun did its best to penetrate the gauzy veils which 

 hung around. Presently, however, we found our- 

 selves enveloped in one of those thick fog-banks 

 which envelope you completely, and as, unfortunately, 

 we had no compass on board, we had no idea in what 

 direction to find the shore. Of course we had quite 

 lost sight of the devil fish, and as we were thinking 

 just then much more of our own safety than of catch- 

 ing fish, I really don't think we should have struck 

 one had he come alongside. 



On the shores of North Carolina, a cold fog of this 

 kind is usually the precursor of a storm, and our 

 only prudent course was to get to shore as quickly 



