344 ISLES OF SUMMER. 
and seen in billows that hissed and howled, foaming in anger. 
Now, gentle winds, born in the warm tropics, traveled with the 
rolling tide, and hand in hand, air and water were bearing their 
thermal blessings onward. It is theirs to loosen the icy bands, 
and quicken into life the slumbering energies of northern climes. 
At times dolphins played about our ship, and flying fish, like 
flocks of small birds, traversed considerable spaces of air, just 
clearing the waves. ‘‘ The dolphin,” said our passenger captain, 
“is the swiftest fish that swims the sea; where there are flying 
fish there are usually dolphins; the dolphins feed upon them, 
and the flying fish jump into the air and try to get away.” Vague 
memories of ancient fables came dimly back to us as we watched 
the quick and playful movements of this interesting mammal of 
the sea. The dolphin was a sacred fish in Grecian mythology, 
and gave name if not inspiration to the famous Delphic Oracle . 
that made known to mortals the decrees of the invisible and im- 
mortal gods. Modern scientists, upon observing the relative size 
and character of its brain, are disposed to entertain with more 
favor the belief of the ancients in its superior intelligence. As 
with the sea-birds, so with the fish, they stirred our souls with 
' the quickening spirit of creeds that flourished in earth’s fresh 
green spring time, and our voiceless thoughts declared—surely, 
these dolphins, which appear to be doing pilot and escort duty 
for our ship, are the lineal descendents of those which, in the 
old days of the old world, were the friends and benefactors of our 
race, almoners of divine favors and the bearers of messages from 
a world real but invisible; for with them came most delicious 
air, charming skies, and a quiet sea most beautifully colored. 
Some of our sun-sets were exceptionally brilliant and beautiful. 
On one occasion, when a vast shoreless sea had received the day-" 
god in its engulfing waters, great golden columns of brilliant 
light, radiating from the place of its burial, ae up the west- 
