The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-04-05
Story Of a Dolphin.

! There is in Africaa town called Hippo,
near the sea; it stands upon nevigable
! lake, from whence river runs into the
main ocean, and Gibbs and flows with the
sea. Persons of all ages divert them
selves here with fishing, sailing or
swimming, especially boys. whom love
of play and idleness bring hither The
The contest among them is who shall
| have the glory of swimming the farthest ;
and he that leaves the shore and his com
panions at the greatest distance gains the
victory.
1t happened in one of these trials of
skill that certain boy, more brave than
the rest, launched out toward the opposite
shore. He was met by a dolphin, who
sometimes swan before him, and some
times behind him, and then played
around him, and at last took him upon
his back, then set him down, and after.
ward took him up again, and thus car
ried the poor frightened boy out into the
deepest part, then immediately he turns
back again to the shore, and lands him
among his companions.
The fame of this remarkable event
spread through the town, and crowds of
people hocked round the town to ask him
questions, and hear him relate the story.
The next day the shore was lined with
multitudes of spectators, all attentive]y
contemplating the ocean and the lake.
In Ethe meanwhile the boys swan as
usual, and among the rest the youth 1
am speaking of went into the lake, hut
with more caution than before. The dol
phin again appeared, and came to the
boy, who, together with his companions,
swan away with the utmost precipita-
ton.
The dolphin, as it were, leaped and
dived up and down, darting about in
thousand different convolutions. This
he practiced for several days together,
till the people, accustomed from their in
fancy to the sea, began to be ashamed of
their timidity. They ventured, there
fore, to advance nearer, playing with him
and calling linn to them, while he, in re-
turn, suffered himself to be touched and
stroked. Use rendered them more cour-
ageous; the boy, in particular, swan by
the side of him, and leaping upon his
back, was carried away in that manner.
Thus they gradually became acquainted
and delighted with each other.
There seemed now, indeed, to be no
fear on either side; the confidence of one
and the tameness of the other mutually
increasing, the rest of the boys, in the
meantime, surrounding and encouraging
their companion. 1t is very remarkable
that this dolphin was followed by q Sec
ond, which seemed only as spectator
and attendant on the other; for he did
not at all submit to the same familiar
tiles as the first, but only conducted him
backward and forward, as the boys did
their comrade.
But what is rather surprising, this dol
phin who thus played with the boys and
carried them upon his back, would come
upon the shore, dry himself in the sand,
and, as soon as he grew warm, roll back
into the sea. Octavius Avitus, deputy
governor of the provinces, actuated by IN
absurd piece of superstition, poured
some precious ointment over him as he
lay on the shore, the novelty and smell
of which made him retire into the ocean,
and it was not till after several days that
he was seen again, when he recovered
his strength AMI continued his usual
playful tricks.
All the magistrates round the country
focked hither to view this sight; the en-
tertainment of them upon their arrival
and during their stay, was an additional
expense, which the slender finances of
this little community could i'll afford,
besides that the quiet and retirement of
the place were utterly destroyed. 1t was
thought proper to remove the occasion
of this concourse by privately killing the
1o1phip