Evening star., 1922-06-18

gained Sucn QlStlnCtlon dS
Pelorous Jack. the wonder
fish of New Zealand. When Sir John
Salmond. who represented that little
Dominion at the armament confer
ence, arrived in Washington. the first
letter he received came from New
York and contained a request for the
biography of Pelorous Jack. Soon aft
er my arrival ! met man who had
served with the Y. NJ. c. A, in France,
and he imm ediately inquired: How
is Pelorous Jack?" He had heard the
strange story from the Anzacs at the
front When 1 recounted the nara
tive at club in Hagerstown, Nd.
two men sobbed into their handk.r-
chiefs. I fear they were doubling
Thomases. who believed that all the
wonders Of the world were housed in
America, and disliked to see the palm
for the best Ash story go to New
Zealand. But when it comes to a real
ly true fish story-well here it is. and
you can judge for yourselves:
Away in the South seas, where the
Southern Cross keeps watch over the
Pacific. this fish of unknown species.
singular in color and with habits
and intuitions previously unhearj of
in a deep sea monster. lived a hermit
existence. The coast line of New Zea-
land is very broken and in one of
the most beautiful of these fiords is
Pelorous sound. Situated as it is on
the northern corner of the South Is
land, ships plying between yelling
ton, the capital city in the north, and
Nelson in the south, passed the en-
gotiating the French pass. narrow,
dangerous channel between DUrville
Island and the mainland. In the earli-
est days there was some argument
as to whether New Zealand should
be British or a French colony. 1t was
nearly a dead heat, but the British
won by a nose. French ship, when
endeavoring to evade the British,
CHANGED upon this narrow channel.
and, preferring destruction to capture.
took a sporting chance and went full
steam ahead. The pass was found to
be nRvigable and the vessel ESCAPED.
1t since been known as the French
pass.
X X X
IT was the sailors who first spoke of
the strange fish which escorted the
ships to the French pass. No one is
SO superstitious as your sailor. and
with his Flying Dutchman and other
maritime friends. it was not long be-
fore supernatural element had been
woven into their story. Many of them
regarded Pelorous Jack as the rein
carnated spirit of captain who had
lost his vessel on the jagged rocks of
the pass and had been condemned for
an allotted span to pilot vessels. 1t
was at that time regarded as a good
fish story-no more.
Investigation, however. brought
verification. and then photographs
placed its authenticity beyond doubt
1t had ceased to be a sailors story
and passengers were always on the
alert to see him.
Each day as the steamers neared
the pass Pelorous Jack would come
from his hermit home in the sound.
his great, white. whalelike body
plunging through the water. For
half an hour or SO he would disport
himself around the ship. dive under
and come UP on the other side. race
ahead, then come dashing back, and
sometimes he would swim close in,
rubbing himself affectionately against
the steamers side. When nearing the
pass, Jack would give an extra dis
play, put on his star turn and then go
plunging back to his home in the
sound.
Nelson, Sleepy Hollow, was par
ticularly interested in Jack. Nothing
ever happened in Nelson. Tucked
away in sunny corner among en-
circling hills, a picturesque cathedral
stands on an eminence, surrounded by