Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1917-11-23
LAST PORT MADE
BY PEL0RUS JACK
FAITHFUL DOLPHIN succUMeS
TO INFlRMlTlEs OF AGE.
After Plotting ships 50 Years, He
orlsvsd for Absent Frlends
and About War.

II dead. The famous New Zealand
pilot fish had conveyed steamships
from Wellington to Nelson at a point
near French Pass for the last thirty
five years. According to Ben Riddles.
the tarry-handsd, bronzed. and beard
ed bo' sun of British freighter. the
finny pilot died from the infirmities
of old age aggravated by grief OF the
war.
II knew Pelorus Jack back In 1886"
said Ben Riddles, when l was bo'ssn
of the old Wanagatiki. running be-
tween Australia and New Zealand. and
he was q smart. young dolphin dazzl-
Ing blue and white In color and about
fourteen feet long.
In those days Jack. az the fish was
known by all men in the coasting and
deep-water trade to New Zealand.
could swim like a streak, and moved
so fast that when the sun wa shin
ing strong all the officer on the
bridge and lookout forward could see
was a fash az he jumped out of the
water ahead to show his dexterity.
Jack always kept on the starboard
bow as he knew that was the Cap
tain's side of the ship. and was a
regular nautical aristocrat N manner.
Shippers who followed Pelorus Jack
never grounded on any shoals or hit
rocks, and this became SO well known
that many of the older mariners would
not go thru French Pass unless he
was ready to pilot them.
They all took a delight in feeding
him with pieces OF beef and small
fresh loaves. which Jack had great
fondness for. One of his best friends
was Captain Inman r. Sealby, OF the
White Star Line, who afterward had
the Republic, and the two were 30
chummy that Jack would miss two or
three vessels when he knew that Seal.
by was about to leave Wellington for
Nelson.
in 1904 some young landlubber.
with more money then sense, came
along in his yacht and fred shot at
the old pilot fish as he came under
the bow and knocked chunk off his
starboard I'm. This cruel act upset
Pelorus Jack SO much he swan away
and was not seen for three months.
and many Of the coast shippers believ-
ed that he had given up his job.
Finally the New Zealand govern
ment sent a dispatch boat TO look for
him, and Jack was discovered hiding
up a small inlet in q lonesome state
and brought back TO French Pass. To
protect him from further attacks the
governor of New Zealand issued a
special order in council establishing
a fine Of $500 for any person who at
tempted to injure Pelorus Jack.
Just before the war began 1t was
noticed that the famous dolphin was
turning gray and was showing his age
In other ways. He took on shovel
nosed whistling grampus called Billy
to teach him the pilot business. but
Billy had lost his port headlight. and
had to carry SO much starboard helm
that he was continually going aground.
Then Jack got hold Of frisky young
dugong named Wif1n which INDUCED
in 30 much skylarking around the
Gnips that the officers would not trust
him, and the sailors used to chuck
coal at him to chase him away.
What with his age and sciatica, in
the part which wagged his tail. and
missing all his old friends who had
been called away to the Atlantic trade
by he war, Pelorus Jack just pined
away and died. His body was found
on the sandy shore near French Pass.
and out of respect for his long and
faithful services the crew OF a coast
steamer dug trench and put the
body of the old f1nny pilot In II on
a bed of seaweed and planted q blue
gum tree at the head and tail to mark
the spot"
Ben Riddles, who seemed much af-
fected by the death OF Pelorus Jack.
said that after the war the officers
and men In the Australian and New
Zealand coast trade would take up
collection for q monument to the only
fsh ever known to have been honor
ed by a special order In council.