Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-06-02
The Pilot Fish.

1t was in the month OF May, 1898. that
the ship which. bore the celebrated
French zoologist, NJ. Godfrey, was living
becalmed between Cane Bon and the Is-
land of Malta, when the ennui Of the pas,
sengers was dissipated BY the approach
of a shark. He was preceded by two
pilot fishes that directed their course tn.
wards the ships stern, which they In
spccted twice. swimming from one end 10
the other. Not finding ANYTHING. they
for a time departed. The shark, it is Az
serted, never lost sight of the pilots. and
he seems to have followed them as if he
had been an iron shark, and they had
been magnets. The sailors threw over i
large hook baited with pork. The three
observing the splash of the bait, stopped.
The two pilots advanced, as ITO examins
The cause.
Whele they were gone, the shark was
seen playing upon surface of the level
sea, now diving, new re appearing in the
same place. When the pilots discovered
land, they swan swiftly back to the.
shark, took the lead, and all three made
toward the ship. The shark did not seem
to discover the bait until twas pointed
out to him by the pilots, when he made q
rush at it, was hooked and hoisted on
board. Here the pilots appeared to have
led their friend to death. The next Wit
ness, a clptain in the royal navy. gives
these leaders credit for the greatest sa.
gacity. Captain Richards, while on the
Mediterranean station, saw following the
ship a shark attracted probably BY a
corpse which had been committed to the
deep. The day was fine. A shark hook
balted with pork was thrown out. The
shark, attended by four pilot fishes, res
peatedly approached the bait. Whencv.
err he did 50 one of the pilots was dis.
tlnctly seen from the %taffrail, to turn his
snout against the sharks head, as if to
turn it away.
After some further play, the shark
off in the wake of the vessel, his
dorsal fin being distinctly visible above
water. When, however, he had gone q
considerable distance, he made a certain
turn, darted after the ship, and, before
the pilots overlook him, snapped at the
bait and was fast. In hosting him III,
one of the pilots was observed clingiug
to his side until he was half out of the
water, then it fell off. All the pilot fish
es then swan about O while, as if in
search of their friend, with every appear.
ance of anxiety and distress ; they then
darted suddenly down into the depths Of
the sea.
DR.. Mayor deposes that he saw no less
than three instances in which the shark
was led by the pilot fish. When the for
mer neared the ship, the pilot swan close
to his snout, or near his pectoral hns.-
Sometimes the pilot fish darted rapidly
forwards-and sideways, as if looking for
something, and constantly went back to
the shark. When the latter was within
twenty PAGES from the ship. a piece of ba.
con fastened to a great hook, was thrown
overheard. Quick as lightning, the pilot
fish darted up, smelt Of the bate, and in.
SANITY went back to the shark, swim.
ming many times round his STOUT, aud
splashing as ii to give him exact informa-
ton as to the bacon. The shark ihcn
put himself in motion, the D lot showing
him the way, and in a moment was fast to
the hook.