NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 345 



While on this subject I will record the following anec- 

 dote, which was related to me by Mr. John Bluck, of this 

 town, a person of intelligence and respectability, whose 

 statement may be relied upon : — 



In the year 1827, while proceeding from Bermuda to 

 Havanna, in a vessel called the "Sally Ann," and when 

 near the " Hole in the Wall," approaching the Grand Bank 

 — the master of the ship being on the look-out in the rigging 

 of one mast and my informant in the other — a large fish 

 was seen by the latter approaching the stern of the vessel. 

 One of the seamen, who stood on the quarter-deck trailing 

 a long fishing line at the time, being cautioned to keep a 

 good look-out for the fish, actually succeeded in hooking it. 

 A struggle followed between the man and the fish, when 

 suddenly the line " slacked," and the man reported the fish 

 "gone." This, however, proved to be a mistake, for "on 

 hauling in the slack of the line" the fish was found to be 

 still firmly hooked. On its reappearing near the surface, 

 to the astonishment of everyone on board, it charged the 

 vessel, and at one bound cleared the taff-rail of the quarter 

 deck, perforating with its horn (for it proved to be a Sword- 

 fish of about forty pounds weight) the thick wood-work 

 of the trunk or raised portion of the cabin, the horn break- 

 ing off close to the head with the concussion. This horn 

 Mr. Bluck described as about fourteen inches long, four or 

 five inches of which had gone quite through the cabin 

 trunk. 



It was the impression of those on board, that the man 

 who held the fishing line, was the object of attack on this 

 occasion. This, however, may be questioned ; but there 

 can be little doubt that if the Sword-fish had struck the 

 man, he would have lost his life. The hook and line were 

 firmly attached to the mouth of this fish when it fell 

 on the deck of the " Sally Ann." The horn was cut out 

 and kept as a curiosity "for some years." 



