234 PEOSE HALIEUTICS. 



With grateful joy tJie wiUing whales attend. 



Observe the leader and revere the friend : 



True to the little chief obsequious roll, 



And soothe in friendship's charms their savage soul. 



Between the distant eyeballs of the whale 



The watchftd pilot waves his faithful tail. 



With signs expressive points the doubtful way. 



And warns to fly the snare and chase the prey : 



The tail, as vocal with impressive air. 



Bids hiTn of all, but most of man, beware. 



Where'er the little guardian leads the way, 



The bulky tyrants doubt not to obey, 



Imphoit trust repose in him alone. 



And hear and see with senses not their own ;* 



To hi-m the important reins of life resign. 



And every self-preserviug care dechne. 



Alas for the fickleness of fish^ and the inconstancy of 

 marine as of mundane attachments ! Cold vrater seems 

 an element almost as ungenial to lasting friendships as 

 hot, and mute creatures as capable of jealousy and re- 

 sentment as loud-tongued meropic man ! When, and 

 on what grounds the misunderstanding of the pilot with 

 his ancient 'fat friend' took place, is uncertain, as it is 

 how long after this rupture he remained 'unattached;' 

 but that Naucrates has, for several centuries at least, 

 taken up with a still stranger ally, in the dreaded shark, 

 whom he escorts in safety through every sea, is matter 

 of general notoriety and almost daily observation. The 

 motives which induced the pilot to transfer his care 

 and personal service, if not his affections, to this gaunt 

 companion (whose conduct is not hable to ill-natured 

 surmise or inference ?) have been very differently viewed. 

 While some look upon him as his staunch aUy, others 

 consider the actions usually quoted in proof of this as 



* Keiva 6e ScSopKev 



fjvi iirvrpei^as <T(j)eTepov ^iOTOio (j>v\d<T(rciv. 



