EPISODES 307 



plicity of character; others again, because, when they 

 had pushed her overboard, it gave them pleasure to see 

 the poor thing in terror strike with her feet, and strive to 

 reach her floating home, which she would never have 

 accomplished, however, had it not been for the humane 

 interference of our captain, Mr. Joseph Hatch, of Kenne- 

 bunk. Kind, good-hearted man! when, several weeks 

 after, the same pet hen accidentally flew overboard, as we 

 were scudding along at a furious rate, I thought I saw a 

 tear stand in his eye, as she floated panting in our wake. 

 But as yet we are becalmed, and heartily displeased at 

 old ".iEolus" for overlooking us. 



One afternoon we caught two Sharks. In one of them, 

 a female, about seven feet long, we found ten young ones, 

 all alive, and quite capable of swimming, as we proved 

 by experiment ; for, on casting one of them into the sea, 

 it immediately made off, as if it had been accustomed 

 to shift for itself. Of another, that had been cut in 

 two, the head half swam off out of our sight. The 

 rest were cut in pieces, as was the old shark, as bait 

 for the Dolphins, which I have already said are fond of 

 such food. 



Our captain, who was much intent on amusing me, in- 

 formed me that the Rudder-fishes were plentiful astern, 

 and immediately set to dressing hooks for the purpose of 

 catching them. There was now some air above us, the 

 cotton sheets aloft bulged out, the ship moved through 

 the water, and the captain and I repaired to the cabin 

 window. I was furnished with a fine hook, a thread line, 

 and some small bits of bacon, as was the captain, and we 

 dropped our bait among the myriads of delicate little 

 fishes below. Up they came, one after another, so fast 

 in succession that, according to my journal, we caught 

 three hundred and seventy in about two hours. What a 

 mess ! and how delicious when roasted ! If ever I am 

 again becalmed in the Gulf of Mexico, I shall not forget 



