170 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



hulls of wooden ships at sea, and leaving in the 

 timbers the broken-off ends of their swords, 

 are not uncommon. 1 It is thought that they 

 mistake the hull for a whale ; but why the 

 narwhal of the Arctic regions, with an equally 

 formidable weapon, does not do likewise, is un- 

 accountable. 



We were in luck that day, for all at once the 

 men began to gesticulate more violently, and in a 

 peculiar manner, signifying that a school of tunny 

 was approaching. Instantly the boats, in which I 

 had observed long nets (for Italians, who are born 

 fishermen, never lose a chance for lack of necessary 

 gear), made great efforts to get across the path of 

 the school leisurely moving in their direction. They 

 succeeded, and as the tunnies came up to the wall 

 of meshes ahead of them, they seemed to lose all 

 presence of mind as the long and deep net 

 gradually, like a seine, encircled them. Then, by 



1 In May, 1904, the Newfoundland schooner Wild/lower 

 was struck amidship by a sword-fish on the Grand Banks. 

 The fish, which weighed 580 Ibs., was unable to withdraw its 

 sword, and while struggling, prior to being harpooned, 

 almost overturned the little craft. 



On July io, 1904, a "sworder" attacked a boat off Block 

 Island, penetrating its sides and wounding one of the crew ; 

 and in August of the same year, a seaman on board the 

 Blanche, off Boston, was grazed by a sword-fish's blade which 

 attacked the boat. 



