CHAPTER III 



OCEAN FISH AND OCEAN FISHING {coniiiiued) 



After this long introduction I must relate my 

 cetacean experiences. 



Seldom are whales seen close to the Straits of 

 Dover, but I recollect that many years ago, when 

 crossing over to Calais, a " school " came close to 

 the mail-packet, and one whale, a sixty-footer, 

 suddenly rose close to the side, and, frightened by 

 our paddle-wheels, arched its back, and dived clean 

 under our hull, rising again about a mile away on 

 the other side. 



South of the Line, and just out of the tropic of 

 Capricorn, we (the passengers and crew of the fine 

 old ship Superb) sighted several sperm whales. 

 Probably, out of curiosity, eight great fish came 

 alongside and rather alarmed the skipper, for 

 although his ship was of good tonnage and teak- 

 built, it would have been no joke if several hundred 



42 



