i 34 ST. HELENA 



in various parts of the world for the express purpose of 

 capturing sharks, whose oil and skins command good prices, 

 the fins also being a valuable article of commerce in China, 

 who draws her supplies chiefly from Australia. 



Long legs and stumps or cray-fish resemble the lobster 

 in taste and colour and have the same kind of tail. 



Rock oysters in some situations are hardly distinguishable 

 from the rock. 



The coal-fish is so called from the black hue of its skin ; it 

 is from two to three feet or more in length, and very thick 

 about neck and shoulders ; highly flavoured and delicate, 

 being not unlike a salmon in taste. The fish is not very 

 abundant, and when obtainable fetch 2s. to 35. each. 



The flying fish about the shores are often chased by porpoise, 

 shark or other voracious enemies, and frequently meet their 

 death by jumping out of the water on to the hard shelving 

 rock. They measure sometimes more than two feet in 

 length, a size which I am told they do not attain elsewhere. 



Between the months of December and March, turtle 

 frequent the island, but of late years they have been very 

 seldom caught. 



Whales are not infrequently seen, and they have been 

 caught in the roads by the South Sea whalers. There is 

 no doubt, if a few expert fishermen were employed, a con- 

 siderable number might be caught each year. The species 

 frequenting the island is called the " race-horse " whale, 

 and yields, it is said, about five tons of oil. 



In the early days the only mammal was the manatee, 

 or sea-cow (probably the Manatus australis, or M. Senegal- 

 ensis), the former being the American, and the latter the 

 African species. It may however have been peculiar to 

 the island ; from the earliest times it has been killed when 

 found, the last one mentioned being in 1810, and there is 

 not even a bone left for the study of the naturalist. 



With such a variety of fish there is no doubt that the es- 

 tablishment of a proper fishery would be of great advantage 

 to the island. The general mode of fishing practised is that 

 of hook and line; and generally from open boats moored near 

 the shore or upon the banks and ledges situate around the 

 coast. 



The most productive of these banks is called New Ledge, 



