Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-10-20
"PEL0RUS JACK"
White Dolphin Acts a Scif-Appointed
Pilot in New Zealand Matters.

In those days much is heard about
the open ana closed seasons FOR hunt
ing and fishing. ana every session OF
tho legislatures In every state In the
Union secs new measures which seek
90 amend or modify the game laws
In force, but IL has remained for tho
government OF New Zealand TO protect
by law "a solitary sea creature. which
is known throughout that region ~
"Pclorus Jack" This FISH or mammsl
~ a famous white dolphin and be-
longs TO the species known as Rls-o's
dolphin tGrampus griscusl and Is tho
only fish OF this particular species
known in New Zealand waters.
New Zealand. cs will be- seen by re-
ference GO AN atlas. consists of TIVE
large Islands known as North and
South Islands. together with fRimcyoLs
mailer Islands adjacent 10 these Two.
Separating the mainland Of South
Island from another body OF land
called D'UrVille Island, BE- narrow
strait which Is known as Frcnch Pass,
and through this channel pass tho
steamers which operate between the
city of Wellington on North Island
ana the city of Nelson on south Island,
touching at an the coastal POINTS be-
tween
~ is from the deck OF these steam
ers that the passengers make their
first acquaintance with "Pelorua
Jack" and ID can De depended upon
that he will make his appearance every
time a vessel approaches French Pass
Fer over 20 years he has been care
fully observed by the crews ana pas
sengers Of these steamers. and the
Maoris have legends that would seem
To- prove that he has been known
among them for az least eleven sem
orations. or 2I5 years.
Not only does "Pelorus Jack" seem
TO be sociable with his friends on deck.
bat acts as a pilot through a good
portion Of this channel. which is cali
ed in the Maori tongue To Au-miti,
or 1.-THE licking or swirling current"
To the east of French Pass is Pel0-
rus Sound. and Il Is generally in the
neigh borhOOd of the mouth OF this in-
let that Jack puts in his appear
ance, and he will despOrt near the
bow of the vessel until il reaches the
entrance 10 the pass when he disap-
pears When a Steamer Is coming in
the opposite direction, bound from
Nelson TO Wellington. Jack" is al
ways ready at the entrance Of the pass
to pilot ID for some ten miles TO the
eastward. Altogether his range 70
east and west Is about a dozen miles,
while TO the north and south IL is
q bout four or nNc miles.
sailors assert that it makes no differ
ence whether the ship is passing the
locality by day or BY night, for Pc
lOrus Jack" seems always on the watch,
and ne can be easily discerned at night
as his light-c0lorcd body shows up
plainly IN the phosphorescent waters.
In length. "PelOrus Jack Is about 10
feet and he has a blunt nose ana a
bumped forehead. a high falcatc dorsal
I'm and a narrow fluked tail Ho is
bluish-white IN color, tinged with pur-
pie and yellow. His clippers are black
,sh. notified with gray. He has been
described as a white whale and again
as n white shark. but was finally Clas-
sifed as Risso's dolphin II is stated
that about q half century ago a school
of fish similar to Jack was noticed
In Peiorus sound. near French Pass,
and IL b. believed that he Is tho only
survivor Of the species.
Among the Maoris there arc folk
stories which tell Of wonderful acts per
formed by Jack, such as plotting de-
/ serted queen from one island 20 an
other. over 80 miles OF open sea. Among
them he Is known as taniwha, or
ocean god and Is reverenced as being
able % bring them fortune or misfor-
tune ON tho deep. They gave him the
name of "Kailai-a-waro.'
whether "Pelorus Jack Is the same
| ash that the Maorig have known so
/ long or is only "a successor may never
/ BE- ascertained. but the fact remains
/ that this monster of the deep has hccii
considered of enough importance 20 be
/ the subject Of governmental action. for
on sept 26 1904, a proclamation MAS
issued by Gov Plunget sitting In coun-
| cll In the government house az Wcling-
| ton. ma king Il unlawful. during a pc
Rod of I'VE years from that dife. FOR
any person 10 take the FISH or mammal
| of the species commonly known as
Rissos dolphin lGrampus griscus), Ia
me waters OF Cook strait, or OF the
| bays. sounds ana estuarios adjacent
thereto"
This could apply only 20 "Prlnrus
Jack" since he r. the only FISH Of his
kind ln those waters The punishlnt nj
fixed for breach nf the regulation IS q
penalty OF not less than IS nor moro
| than clOO The government a. renew
ing this regulation for another five
years. and Il Is therefore probable that
Jack" viii continue 20 act as gelf-
| appointed pilot Tor that space of time
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