344 ISLES OP SUMMER. 



and seen in billows that hissed and howled, foaming in anger. 

 Now, gentle winds, born in the warm tropics, traveled with the 

 rolling tide, and hand in hand, air and water were bearing their 

 thermal blessings onward. It is theirs to loosen the icy bands, 

 and quicken into life the slumbering energies of northern climes. 



At times dolphins played about our ship, and flying fish, like 

 flocks of small birds, traversed considerable spaces of air, just 

 clearing the waves. '' The dolphin," said our passenger captain, 

 ** is the swiftest fish that swims the sea; where there are flying 

 fish there are usually dolphins; the dolphins feed upon them, 

 and the flying fish jump into the air and try to get away. " Vague 

 memories of ancient fables came dimly back to us as we watched 

 the quick and playful movements of this interesting mammal of 

 the sea. The dolphin was a sacred fish in Grecian mythology, 

 and gave name if not inspiration to the famous Delphic Oracle 

 that made known to mortals the decrees of the invisible and im- 

 mortal gods. Modern scientists, upon observing the relative size 

 and character of its brain, are disposed to entertain with more 

 favor the belief of the ancients in its superior intelligence. As 

 with the sea-birds, so with the fish, they stirred our souls with 

 the quickening spirit of creeds that flourished in earth's fresh 

 green spring time, and our voiceless thoughts' declared — surely, 

 these dolphins, which appear to be doing pilot and escort duty 

 for our ship, are the lineal descendents of those which, in tho 

 old days of the old world, were the friends and benefactors of our 

 race, almoners of divine favors and the bearers of messages from 

 a world real but invisible; for Avith them came most delicious 

 air, charming skies, and a quiet sea most beautifully colored. 



Some of our sun-sets were exceptionally brilliant and beautiful. 

 On one occasion, when a vast shoreless sea had received the day- 

 god in its engulfing waters, great golden columns of brilliant 

 light, radiating from the place of its burial, lighted up the west- 



