30G AN OLD STORY. 



and divers. Here is Pliny's account of it, as translated, 

 quaintly enough, by Philemon Holland : 



" The dyvers that use to plunge down into the sea are 

 annoyed very much with a number of sea-hounds (Caniculce) 



that come about them Much ado they have, and hard 



hold with these hound-fishes, for they lay at their bellies 

 and loines, at their heeles, and snap at everie part of their 

 bodies that they can perceive to be white. The onely 

 way and remedie is to make head directly affront them, 

 and to begin with them first, and so to terrifie them ; 

 for they are not so terrible to a man as they are afraid of 

 him againe. Thus within the deepe they be indifferently 

 even matched ; but when the dyvers mount up and rise 

 againe, above water, then there is some odds betweene, 

 and the man hath the disadvantage, and is in the most 

 daunger, by reason that whiles he laboureth to get out 

 of the water he faileth of meanes to encounter with the 

 beast against the stream and sourges of the water, and 

 therefore his only recource is to have helpe and aid from 

 his fellowes in the ship ; for having a cord tied at one 

 end about his shoulders, he straineth it with his left hand 

 to give signe of what daunger he is in, while he main- 

 taiiieth fight with the right, by taking into it his pun- 

 cheon with a sharp point, and so at the other end they 

 draw him to them ; and they need otherwise to pull and 

 hale him but softly : marry, when he is neere once to the 

 ship, unless they give him a sodaine jerke, and snatch 

 him up quickly, they may be sure to see him worried and 

 devoured before their face ; yea, and when he is at the 

 point to be plucked up, and even now ready to go aboard, 

 he is many times caught away out of his fellowes hands, 

 if he bestir himself not the better, and put his. own good 



