t a time, indulged my taste for
reading and study by the light of the moon.

Fish of many kinds are met with in those seas; and the attempt to
capture them furnishes a pleasant excitement; and if the attempt is
successful, an agreeable variety is added to the ordinary fare on
shipboard. The dolphin is the fish most frequently seen, and is the most
easily caught of these finny visitors. He is one of the most beautiful
of the inhabitants of the deep, and presents a singularly striking and
captivating appearance, as, clad in gorgeous array, he moves gracefully
through the water. He usually swims near the surface, and when in
pursuit of a flying-fish shoots along with inconceivable velocity.

The dolphin, when properly cooked, although rather dry, is nevertheless
excellent eating; and as good fish is a welcome commodity at sea, the
capture of a dolphin is not only an exciting but an important event.
When the word is given forth that "there's a dolphin alongside," the
whole ship's company are on the alert. Business, unless of the last
importance, is suspended, and the implements required for the death or
captivity of the unsuspecting stranger are eagerly sought for. The men
look resolved, ready to render any assistance, and watch the proceedings
with an eager eye; and the wonted grin on the features of the delighted
cook, in anticipation of an opportunity to display his culinary skill,
assumes a broader character.

The captain or the mate takes his station in some convenient part of
the vessel, on the bow or on the quarter, or beneath the bowsprit on the
martingale stay. By throwing overboard a bright spoon, or a tin vessel,
to which a line is attached, and towing it on the top of the water,
the dolphin, attracted by its glittering appearance, and instigated by
curiosity, moves quickly towards the deceiving object, unconscious
that his artful enemy, man, armed with a deadly weapon, a sort of
five-pronged harpoon, called a GRANES, is standing over him, with
uplifted arm, ready to give the fatal blow.

The fish is transferred from his native element to the deck; the granes
is disengaged from the quivering muscles, and again passed to the
officer, who, it may be, soon adds another to the killed. It is
sometimes the case that half a dozen dolphin are captured in this way
in a few minutes. A hook and line over the stern, with a flying-fish
for bait, will often prove a successful means of capturing the beautiful
inhabitants of