310 THE GREAT BARRIER REEF 



and their range of vision, in their own element, seems to 

 be less than that of a man. I could see them some time, 

 before they perceived me — at what distance it would not 

 be safe to say, the difficulty of estimating the distance and 

 even the size of objects beneath the water is so great, 

 owing to refraction and apparent enlargement. It was a 

 singular sight to see a fish, or perhaps a number of them, 

 swimming calmly towards one, and on suddenly becoming 

 aware of his presence, dashing down and away like a 

 flash of light. I noticed that all fish seem to swim 

 habitually in a slow and deliberate way, and only exert 

 their powers of great speed and activity when they have 

 some special object in view, as escape from an enemy, 

 or pursuit of their prey. I also noticed that when 

 surprised, and in danger as they thought, the first impulse 

 of all species, sharks included, was to dive before darting 

 away. Probably this action is intended to prevent a 

 pursuer noting the actual line of flight. 



The seemingly monstrous creatures which inhabit the 

 submarine forests and grottoes of the reef are much 

 calculated to try the nerves of an investigator, until he has 

 become thoroughly used to the weird sights — sights which 

 are the more spectre-like, in that they are unaccompanied 

 by the least sound. The diver hears nothing, except 

 perhaps the tap of his hammer or crow-bar, and that in 

 a subdued tone, almost inaudible, so effectually is sound 

 excluded by the water and his close-fitting head-piece. 

 He soon perceives, however, that of all the monstrous- 

 looking creatures that visit the weird depths, the natural 

 inhabitants consider him the most fearful, for they all 

 shun him. Even that horrible phantom of the deep, the 

 octopus, flies the presence of the diver. On one occasion 

 I saw one of those loathsome-looking creatures slip off* a 

 rock and sink into the black depths of a submarine cavity. 

 It was out of sight almost before I clearly discerned it ; 

 but I can say with certainty that its bulk exceeded my 

 own, with tentacles that I thought were five or six feet in 

 length — a monstrous, bloated, spider-like creature, the 

 sight of which made me thrill with horror, 



