"PELORUS JACK."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1802, 15 July 1913, Page 4

"PELORUS JACK."

A VERY TALL STORY. Tlio Now York "Times" of April 6 to>; a tall story about Pelorus Jaok, written, in that racy and picturesque manner which is bound to carry conviction. The following is tlio article, which, by tho way, is headed "Morns Jack Very Frail":— "JJr, Arthur Uruoo llarland, of Hobart, Tasmania, who'sailed lor London, yesterday, said that when ho left homo six weeks ago Pelorus .lack, tho famous pilot iish in Cook's Straits, who lias guided ships through French Pass for thirty odd years, was getting very weak, and might pass away at any time now. "When I went through tho Pass about three months ago on 0110 of tho 'White Star' steamships," he said, "old Pelorus Jack camo off to us, accompanied by Herbelt, tlio shovel-nosed grampus lie has boon training to succeed him as pilot. Tho sporty old fish wigwagged feebly with his tail to tho captain on the bridge, and then slowly made for tho shore, leaving his pupil m charge. "I heard tho report of the naval surgeon lat Wellington that Pelorus Jack was suffering from hay fever, but from what I can judge of tho symptoms given in tlio diagnosis it is more likely to bo neutritis and lumbago. "Of course Herbert can do tho work all right, as far as tho piloting of the steamers through French Pass is concerned, but ho is not eo refined a,s Pelorus Jack by any moans. If a captain was cautious and somewhat slow in following tho old pilot through, tho narrows, Jack would go astern with his tail like a propeller and wait for tho steamer to como ahead again, but Herbert just blows three spouts of water as a signal to tho captain and then goes ahead full 6peed, not caring whether tho ship is following him or not. Pelorus Jack was certainly tho most gentlemanly fish I have aver met, and I am afraid' that wc shall never 900 his like again in Australian or New Zealand waters, now that wo have a Commonwealth Govern* ment. Ho is tho last of tho finny arisf tocracy of tho Antipodes."