Our Welcome Home 20 1 



goal nearly gained, the drawing power over us that 

 had so mysteriously brought us from the furthermost 

 ends of the earth seemed to have suddenly increased 

 its force, accelerated our speed, and overcome our 

 desire for food. So we swept up the centre of the great 

 Middle sea as far as Pantellaria, when, as if actuated 

 by a sudden impulse, the mighty wedge of steadily 

 swimming fish parted in two irregular portions, 

 each portion immediately closing up its disarranged 

 figure into triangular shape again. The lesser triangle 

 kept on eastward, bearing over towards the African 

 coast, but the larger one swerved sharply to the north- 

 ward for the Sicilian shores. 



Again, I cannot tell why no instinct warned us of 

 our awful danger ; but I swam, being one of the largest 

 of our giant members, at the head of this great body 

 until we came right up to the rock bases of Sicily, 

 and splitting up into numerous small bodies swarmed 

 along the shores of Italy and Sicily, and through the 

 Straits of Messina. All had been prepared for our 

 visit, although it had been quite unheralded by any 

 advanced guards, the humans on land depending 

 entirely upon our faithfulness and constant adherence 

 to our regular customs. In places where we had 

 always come hitherto, that is, our ancestors, great 

 corrals of netting had been prepared with long passages 

 into which we must swarm to get to the regular spawn- 

 ing-grounds. And many boats full of men lay quietly 

 waiting to harass, with shouting and splashing, any 

 idea of returning with a rush that we might have. 

 In this way an enormous number were captured and 

 slain ; for once within these barriers of netting, and 

 the way out again barred, we were driven farther and 

 farther into shallower and narrower places, where 

 savage men armed with spears slaughtered our helpless 



