338 



NAVIGATION. 



The fish called the nautilus always excites great interest, 

 and seamen call it a Portugee nian-o'-war. Its little sail is 

 composed of bony fibres, covered with a thin filmy sub- 

 stance of transparent blue. The body of the fish is just a 

 round piece of blubber, with a number of long slimy roots 

 hanwin^ down, and floats even with the water's edge ; over 

 this'rises the tiny sail. Its power of locomotion seems to 

 be derived from the sail, for it always contrives to get out 

 of a ship's way. 



Both the outward and homeward bound ships endeavour 

 to cross the line at the same point, from long. 18° west to 

 long. 23° west. This is also the favourite cruising-ground 

 for^pirates. The fatal instance of the ship North Star, 

 where many of the officers and passengers were wantonly 

 murdered by the pirates, who even extended their brutal 

 outrage to the unoffending ladies, ought to serve as a warn- 

 ing to the commanders of India traders; and as the long 

 continuance of peace is likely to increase piracy, ships can- 

 not be too much on their guard, or too well prepared with 

 the means of resistance. 



The following table of Horsburgh will show the equatorial 

 limits of the trades between the 18° and 26° of west long. 

 It exhibits the actual experience of about 230 of the com- 

 pany's ships. 



