SURGEON-FISHES 205 



The sea off Minnikoy was of marvellous clearness. 

 Our anchorage was off the western reef of the atoll, 

 and here in 6 fathoms one could literally have seen a 

 sixpence lying on the bottom, and even when, as the 

 ^ide changed, the ship swung into 12 fathoms, all the 

 details of the sea-bottom could still be plainly made 

 ^Dut. In such limpid water angling was not a very 

 hopeful occupation, but we managed to hook some of 

 the strange-looking and foul-feeding surgeon-fishes 

 {Nasetis tuberosus and unicornis) that used to swarm 

 round the ship. In these curious fishes the tail, just 

 near the root of the tail-fin, is armed on either side 

 with several broad, stiff, out - standing plates, whose 

 edges are so sharp that they can inflict a wound as 

 clean and deep as that made by a surgeon's knife. 

 The very first one that we caught gave us ample 

 proof of its formidable powers in the cutting line, for 

 with one sweep of its tail it laid clean open the 

 palm of a lascar boy who incautiously took it into 

 his hand. 



On December 12th we left Minnikoy, taking with 

 us good store of the turtles for which the island is 

 so justly famous, our immediate destination being 

 Colombo, there to take in coal preparatory to resum- 

 ing our survey of the Coromandel coast. 



