Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-02

| grew nearer until about twenty feet to the
leeward. The harpooner steadied himself, the
| skipper waved his big hand, and the schooner
shot into the wind, bringing the fish across
| the bows.
'strike !" yelled the skipper, seeing the
| novice hesitate, perhaps with q symptom oil
| buck fever, and down went the harpoon
The water caught by the fish's tail covered
the striker, who slipped, but caught in the
| jib down haul and was jerked aboard by his
laughing friends, who were leaping about ir
fantastic dance endeavoring to keep clear OF
| the line that was rushing out. making music
| far all hands.
Stand clear of the keg," shouted the
mate, as the rope neared the end of the coil.
A second later the end came, and with a
| leap overheard went the keg to rush away
for mile or and effectually wear out the
gamy monster.
THAT was q good one," said the skipper
after the schooner had taken her bearings
for the keg was a quarter of a mile away.
The first time struck fish didn't fare SO
well. We fshed down south off the cape
then, and when [ struck the line got foul of
my leg, and over went, and believe I must
have been towed ten or twelve fathoms under
water afore I got clear. Then they lost sight
of me, and thought was gone There was
heavy sea on, and swan until schooner
picked me up; and when I walked aboard
that night at Woods Hc;s you'd ha' thought
was ghost. They'd all given me up But
that wasn't nothing to Daniel Perkins expert
ence. His vessel, big coaster was off
Salem list summer, bound down. when lust
after dark, wh1rlwind took 'em and laid the
schooner on her beam ends and in ten min
utes she was down ia the conscience knows
how much water. Daniel was the only man
that could swim, and while the rest chung
on to the planks that foated, he struck out
shore seven miles away, for help. While she
was goin' down he had just time to throw
off his oilskins. Wall, to make long story
short, he swan two hours toward shore in
the dark and heavy sea, and finally caught
sight of ships lights to southland He
swan for her, and just made out to head her
off, and, as she went by, hailed her. They
lay to, and after long hunt picked him up.
The captain said he never saw a man get into
boat quite 80 lively as Squire Perkins did
He told them where the rest were, and they
picked the crew up half an hour later, and
saved 'em all, with the exception of one poor
fellow that went down at first"
''otarboard,' now came from the lookout,
and the schooner rushed up into the wind
the booms created movement, the white
sails Tapped and the sword fisherman fell off
and bore away toward another fish The
skipper swung into the rigging and, gaining
Il look ahead, sung out
Whats the matter with ye up there Can't
ye tell sunfish when We see it Pr
70 the novice the great fin that was lazily
of swordfish, but as the schooner sailed by
the creature was seen to be an oval fish, 81 x
or seven feet high, with large fin at the top
and bottom. Some one expressing wish to
catch 1t, the schooner was hove to and the dory
brought alongside.
There is only one way to catch a sunfish -"
said the captain, land that is to gaff it In the
eye or mouth. You can't put harpoon
through its hide; it's as tough as leather. :"
The gaf, that resembled an overgrown
boat hook, was tossed in, and the dory SHOW
ed off. The sunfish paid not the slightest
attention. but wallowed about, sometimes on
one side and sometimes upright, and not
until the gait had been jerked into its small
mouth did it attempt to get away. But then
it made up for lost time the great fins
crashed against the frail dory The boys
chung to the windward the painter was
caught about the fish, which, after a short
struggle, was brought alongside and hoisted
on board the schooner. 1t weighed $50
pounds and certainly was one Of the most
remarkable fishes to be found in the sea- In
shape 1t was almost perfect oval the two
fins projecting from the opposite sides, and
whether swimming on its back or belly. it
appeared to be equally all right. The skin
was as hard as leather, and seemed formed
of crystals, and was wonderfully irridescent in
the sun, the entire surface being covered
with gelatinous substance certainly half an
inch thick. The tail, il it could be called
tail, extended the entire length of the crea
ture. Great muscles radiated into it showing
the manner of its movement. Underneath
the skin was beautiful lining of gristle
pure white, and as elastic as rubber. Instead
of teeth there are two horny ridges like
those of parrot fish of the south, The
liver of the sunfish is valued as an article of
food In the Mediterranean suntish are reg
ularly fshed for, and one variety is noted for
its wonderful phosphoresence under water.
resembling the reflection of the moon moving
along.
The vessel was again headed for the bar
rel, and, as the swordfish was evidently ex.
hausted, the schooner soon overhauled it.
and was rounded to. Tho dory, manned by
the captor, was soon alongside. The first
haul upon the rope spurred the swordfsh to
renewed exertions, and dartsd away, bring
ing the rope up kissing through the water
and burying the bow of the dory in a mass of
foam. Slowly the line came in, and soon the
great fish could be seen, and then the slack
was taken in with rush. The scythe.like
tail beat the water with terrific strokes But
rope was skilifully thrown about it, and
writhing with great curves, lifting the dory
from the water, and making things lively
generally, the fish was taken alongside the
schooner. A lanyard was rugged, and squirm
ing, thrashing and plunging, the monster was
hoisted from the sea and lowered upon the
deck. where it was killed 1t was fully 10
feet long.
They do right smart work with that
sword" said the skipper, measuring it off
with tape at feet 8 inches, land it
pretty sight to see 'em dash into school of
herring The way they slash about with the
sword is caution, and at every stroke the
behring's are moved down and fall in a reg.
ular shower like silver then the fish slide
under them and pick 'em up one after anoth-
er"
"And the habits so strong" put in the
mate, THAT if you throw dead herring over
nf1n ffrNn IN 9Ant hA "a l.
fore he takes it, I've seen one put his sword
through dory just as if twas paper and
twist around, wrenching the planks off, and
tearing things as if they had been struck by
an axe You might have heard of the ship
Maud that sprung a leak at sea. The pumps
were kept a going until she reached port, and
when she was dry-docked the sword of a
sword6sh was found run clear through her
ade. Once vessel was sunk by swordfsh,
and they had big time about the insurance,
as that kind of accident wasn't provided for
You might just as well be struck by a cannon
ball as by one of 'em and we very often seen
'em with their swords tore off, having hit ON
the rocks. There is some kind of a parasite
that bites 'em and makes EN- so crazy that
they rush into anything, although those that
I've seen without sword have been poor
looking, and 1 shouldn't wonder if they
starved to death without 'am."
The man at the top now sighted another
fish, and in the course of the day seven large
fellows were taken.
The swordfish is really mackerel and
near relation of the bluefsh mackerel, the
funny and others of the tribe, which &C.
counts for its marketable value All along
the New England coast, FROM Montauk Point
north, the swordfish fishery forms no unim-
portant item in the industries of the eastern
States. Concerning the breeding habits of
the swordfish the men are totally ignorant,
and among a large number of fishermen in
ka,., !
that weighed less than seventy five pounds.
In fact, the young are never seen on the Maine
coast, and it is the general impression that
they breed on European shores and come
over here. In the Mediterranean they first
approach the land to breed in the late spring
or early summer. If a young swordfish is
ever caught in our northern waters the find
er will do we'll to forward it to the Smithson-
IAN or some such institution, which would be
glad to get it.