78 



THE " NUMA/^ 



lowered to catch him. He was evidently sick ; 

 for the boat actually touched him as he floated 

 with his fin out of water^ of which he took no 

 further notice than by merely turning on his 

 back. None of the seamen had ever seen this 

 species before. It had a huge head^ with a very 

 small mouthy and a body like that of a shark ; 

 l)ut of a pale ash colour, and without any scales. 

 Two small pilot-fish were in company, hover- 

 ing round him. The harpoon broke, and a 

 noose was made and lowered; but the swell 

 prevented this from sinking ; and after sustain- 

 ing several hard knocks from the keel of the 

 boat, and from the oars, the monster sank too 

 deep to be in danger from such unskilful fisher- 

 men, and the pursuit was finally abandoned, 



I have seen no flying-fish yet in the Pacific. 

 In the same latitude in the Atlantic they abound. 

 Perhaps the vicinity of the coast, and the greater 



