THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 301 



suddeul}' heard in the sea by a New Zealander on 

 deck, who, on looking over the side, saw a large dark 

 body sinking, and immediately gave the alarm of a 

 man overboard. The crew, however, were found to 

 be complete, and the occurrence passed over. Soon 

 after, one of the men observ^ed a rugged object pro- 

 jecting from the vessel's side, which, on examination, 

 proved to be the snout of a Sword-fish, with part of 

 the hc^ad attached, broken off by the fracture of the 

 skull. On the vessel's arriving at Sydney, the pro- 

 jecting part was sawn off, after vain endeavours to 

 extract the weapon ; and at the conclusion of the 

 voyage, the pierced wood was taken out and placed 

 in the British Museum. 



It is worthy of observation that, with very few 

 exceptions, the immense population of the Ocean 

 is carnivorous. The principal circumstance that 

 regulates the choice of diet among fishes seems to 

 be the power of mastery. Of terrestrial creatures, 

 a very large number are peaceful, never, under 

 ordinary circumstances, willingly taking the life of 

 even the most helpless around them ; but the sea- 

 ls a vast slaughter-house, where nearly every inha- 

 bitant dies a violent death, and finds a grave in the 

 maw of his felJow. AVe have just seen the Sword- 

 fish preying upon the Albacore, and the Albacore 

 upon the Flying-fish ; while the Flying-fish itself, 

 though so general a favourite, is the greedy devourer 

 of other fishes smaller than itself. Yet, let us not 

 arraign the providence of God, as if it were cruel 

 and unkind : a sudden termination of existence is 

 the most merciful mode, as far as we can conceive, 



