PELORUS JACK

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3143, 23 July 1917, Page 7

PELORUS JACK

HIS LIFE AND STORY IN AMERICAN PRESS FICTION ■AN AMUSING OBITUARY NOTICE The New York "Times," in an issue of April last, inters with honours Pelorus Jack, the famous pilot. BtJh of French Pass. If the account, is not strictly "according (o e.ocke,''- it is at least an extremely amusing example of tho imaginative llighls uf American journalism. It reads:— News has been received from Australia, that, Pelorus ,l,aok is dead. The famous Now Zealand pilot-fish has convoyed steamships from Wellington Io Nelson ata point near I'raicli I'ass for tho last thirty-live years. According to Ben Ituddles, tho tarry-handed, bronzed, and bearded bo'siui of a British freighter, the tinny pilot; died from the infirmities of old age aggravated by grief over (he war. "1 knew .Pelorus Jack baclt iu ISSG," said Ben. Ituddles "when I. was- bu'sitn of the old Wangatiki, running between Australia and .\ : ew Zealand and he was a smart,, young -dolphin, dazzling blue and white in colour, and about, fourteen feet long. In those days Jack, as the lish was known by all men in tho coasting and deop-wat'er trade to New Zealand, could swim like a streak, and moved so fast that when the sun was shining strong'all the officers on tho bridge and the look-out forward could see was a (lush as ho jumped out of tho water ahead to show his dexterity. "Jnek always' kept on flic starboard bow, as ho knew that -was tho captain's side of the ship, and was a regular nautical aristocrat in manner. Skippers who followedi Pelorus .fuck never grounded on any shoals or hit -rocks, And this became so well known that .many r.f tho older marinors would not go through French Pass unless he was ready to pilot them. They all took a. delight in feeding him with pieces of hoof and small fresh loaves, which Jack had a great fondness for. One of his best friends was Captain Jtimaii E. Sealby, of tho White Star Lino who afterward had tho Republic, and the two wore so chummy that Jack would miss two or three vessels when he knew that Sealby was about to leave Wellington for Kelson. ' "In l!!0t some young landlubber, with' more money than sense, caino along in his yacht and fired a. shot at tho old pilot lish as lib came under t'he.bow nnd knocked a chunk off his starboard fin. This cruel act; upset Pelorus Jack so much he swam away, and was not scon for three months, and many of tho coast skippers believed that ho had given up his job. Finally tho New Zealand fiovornnient sent a dispatch boat to look for him, and Jock was discovered hiding up a, small inlet in a lonesome slate, 'and . brought back to French Pass. To protect him from further attacks the Governor of New Zealand is-aied a special Orilor-in-Conncii establishing a fine of SflOdol. for any person who attempted Io injure Pelorus Jack. "Just before the war began it was noticed that the famous dolphin was turning gray uud was showing his «C« in other ways. Ho took on a shovelnosed whistling grampus colled Billy jo fetich him tho pilot .busrhoss, but Billy had lost his port headlight; and had to carry so much, starboard helm that he 'was' continually going aground. I hen Jack go); bold of a lrt«Tty young dugong named WifHn .which indulged in wTuuch skylarking around tho ships that the plhcra"s would not trust him. and the sailors used to chuck coal at him. to chaso him away. ... "What with his aste and sciatica, in tho part which wagced his tail, and missing all his old friends who had been called away to tho Atlantic trade by tho war, Pelorus Jack just pined away and died His hodv was found about two months ago on the sandy shore near Trench Pass, and out of respect for Ins long and faithful services tho crew of «. coast steamer dug a, trench and put tile bodv of the old tinny.pilot m it. on :i bed of seaweed and planted a. blue gum tree at tho head and tail to mark tho spot." i l r Ben Ruddles, who seemed nmch affected by tho death of Pelorus .lack said thai, after the war Iho officers and men in the Australian nml New coast trade would take up a. collection for a monument to the only hsh over known to have been honoured by a. Special Order-in-Counc.il.