SHEEPSHEAD FISHING. 151 



from fancy. The nondescript lies before them ; his 

 weight and measurement have been taken ; and 

 ejaculations of wonderment duly exchanged. Dr. 

 Pogonias presides ; and a few leaves of the books 

 of reference, that are spread upon the table, have 

 been turned when the first incision, to test the 

 internal structure, was made. The knife glides 

 without effort through the tender fibre the coats 

 are lined with luscious-looking fat, and, on further 

 investigation, two fresh sheepsheads (Ha ! ha ! 

 gentle reader ! you thought you caught me napping 

 l)ut it is a sheepshead story, after all though you 

 could not guess how I was to get at it) two sheeps- 

 heads, fresh and bright and intact, are disclosed, on 

 which he had made his morning lunch? A momen- 

 tary frown passes over the brow of one of tlie/pannel, 

 as if he rebuked, in spirit, the extravagant epicurism 

 of the defunct. The books are closed a new direc- 

 tion has evidently been given to their thoughts. " I 

 wonder," says Dr. P., " whether the copper banks 

 are anywhere nigh ? Really, if I wasn't afraid of 

 being poisoned, by eating an unknown fish, I should 

 indeed venture to try a little of it." Whereupon, 

 he ordered Jeoffrey (my quasi- Ariel) to cut off a 

 little slice of twenty pounds, and transfer it to his 

 kitchen. The contagion spread the steel gleamed 

 on every side and, in the twinkling of an eye, the 



