The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-21
FAMOUS PILOT
 FISH WEARS END PeIOrus Jack, Guide of the French Sailors, Is Sick WAS SHOT BY HUNTER Strange Tales Told of Actions of Huge Fish That Has Guided
 Steamers for Many
 Years

From the New York Times
 News was received in this city yes- terday from Wellington, New Zealand that Pelorus Jack, the world famous fish that has piloted the big liners for d quarter of century through French Pass. part of Cooks straits, which divide the North and South Islands. was far from well and that his condition was causing grave con- cern to the local government officials
 For the last three months captains of liners going through the strait have noticed that Jack" is somewhat slow CT in his movement when he swims ahead of the ship on the starboard bow, and on several occasions captains have not picked him up at the entrance 10 the pass where he was wont to meet their ships with merry wigwag of his big tail Recently the veteran finny pilot has been accompanied on his trips by shovel-nosed grampus named Mar eel from Wangatki, who is evidently trying to learn the soundings in the pass Marcel, the sailors also declare, helps his sick friend by blowing three times to the ships. as signal to the captain that he is clear of shallow wa
 ter, instead of Jack having to do it with his tail,
 Pelours Jack is said to have been named after Hannibal's pilot by an en- thusiastic student of the Punic wars, and has been seen for so many years In the waters in and around Cook $ Straits that his history is lost amid the early annals of the antipodes. That part of Cooks Straits which is known as French Pass Is three miles long and quarters of a. mile wide. < It is so dangerous. owing to the narrowness and rocky nature of it's bed, that cap tains never go through al night. but anchor and wait for daylight.
 Pelorus Jack for more than 9 years has met each ship at the entrance to
 he pass and piloted it safely through the narrow passage into deep water. Most of the mariners using the pass declare that he Is a white fish, some 14 feet long and covered in places with dark patches through old age and rub ping the barnacles of the hulls, of tho ships when they are at anchors.
 Some 10 years ago an Englishman with small mind, who had bought a gun. bull terrier kit bag and q whangee cane to go to the antipode., to pursue the bounding kangaroo to it's lair was a passenger on steamship that was escorted through French Pass lily Pelorus Jack. The Englishman de- cided it would be great sport, to take a DO. shot at the big white fish swim ming steadily along under the shadow l. of the starboard bow. To his surprise and to the indigna tione of the captain land officers of the ship. Pelorus Jack was hit by the bullet underline port ear and his blood dyed the water. of the narrow pass a. deep crimson.,s.
 | As the members of the crewI,t tell it, the captain stopped the ship and anch : ored to see what could be done for his told friend. A boat was lowered. the sailors say. to take the surgeon oyer lto Pelorus Jack to see il he could ex- tract the bullet. The big fish, officers land crew declare. appeared to under stand the surgeons benevolent inten : tions and swam slowly to the bank where he dtydocked himself in shal-