SHARK. 
227 
shark’s supposed purveyor. This gentleman has in- 
serted in the Bulletin des Sciences , No. 6l, an ob- 
servation he made during his voyage respecting the 
pilot fish*, who accompanies the shark, and points 
out to him those places where food is to be obtained 
in the greatest abundance. In the month of May, 
1798, while M. Geoffroy was lying becalmed be- 
tween Cape Bon and the Island of Malta, the at- 
tention of the passengers was excited by a shark 
advancing towards the vessel. He was preceded by 
two pilots, who were seen to direct their course to- 
wards the poop of the ship, which they inspected 
twice from one end to the other ; but, not finding 
tiny thing there to satisfy the want of their master, 
resumed their former route. It appears that the 
shark never lost sight of the pilots, but regularly 
followed their course, as if he had been dragged by 
them. The minute the shark was seen, one of the 
sailors threw a large hook into the sea, baited with 
lard. The three travellers, though they had already 
proceeded to some distance, stopped short, upon 
hearing the noise which the bait made in falling 
into the water, and the two pilots were dismissed to 
examine the cause. While they were gone, the 
shark played upon the surface of the water, and oc- 
casionally dived, but always reappeared in the same 
place. The pilots, after they had discovered the 
lard, returned to their master with great velocity, 
and made every effort to get before him ; which 
they had no sooner done than the trio returned to- 
* Gasterosteus ductor , Linn. 
Q 2 
