"ROUND THE WORLD."

THE REV. E. W. MATTHEWS' TOUR.

PELORUS JACK AND NELSON DESCRIBED.

The Rev. E. W. Matthews, who visited Nelson last November, in the interests of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, is reprinting his log m "Round the World," and the appended articles in reference to Pelorus Jack and to Mr Matthews' visit to Nelson are reprinted therefrom : —

Left Wellington for Nelson, and, as we pass through the French Pass, my earnest hope is to see the most famous fish in the world.

Pelorus Jack. — rt is midnight, Tuesday, November 13th, 1906. I was so weary at 9.30 p.m. that I felt I could >t keep watch in order to see this remarkable, unique, wonderful, historic ish called Pelorus Jack. But I turned in with the distinct understanding that the steward on watch of the s.s. Mapourika would call me when this great fish should visit our ship. 11.45, like Jonah of old, I had gone down into the sides of the ship and lay, and was fast sleep — dead asleep, — when, not the •shipmaster, but the steward roused me with the good news that Pelorus Jack was under the bows! I hurried up, but before I could slip into my pants, reach the deck— as luck would have it— I ran aft, and before I had got for'ard our friend had made its official visit and left. Then I condemned myself for not watching all the time, but I was glad to have been called, and had a look at that memorable midnight as we w«tfe 'going through, those wondrous French passes, and under such a star-lit skv as is seldom seen even under the Southern Cross. Oh those heavens were transcendant ; almost too glorious for mental gaze. We seemed to be encompassed in stars bending down kissing the hills all around, while the lakelike sea, so blue, was lit by phosphorescent fire. Pelorus Jack's Children.— Vv hlle 1 gazed in wonder and awe, looking np, ' and then over the bows into the sea, I said, "Here is Jack." ''.'No," said the watchman, "this is a porpoise, Jack is ten times bigger than that." But I see two steering or guiding the ship, going ahead of us, though wo are going at full speed. T said, "No, these are Jack s children"— children of light, for their bodies are outlined with fire as you look down into these blue, dark waters, lit and illumined by the playful children of Pelorus Jack at midnight. Here comes another fish, which seems to have brought them a message, so they all depart. , , Reason for Jack's short stay, for he onlv left one minute before I got to the bow, was seen at a glance. Away on the port bow was a steamer coming in the opposite direction, about a mile off. Now it is a rule with Pelorus Jack to visit every ship passing through the French Pass night or day. So having come, touched our ship, gone under and rubbed his back and sides under the keel, played under our bows, guided us for a few minutes, away he went to accompany the other ship back to the next headland which we had left. Is Jack father or mother? No one can tell, though a Maori said he had seen a companion ; but no other -ship has ever reported having seen a companion, though the fishermen say there are one or two others in the bays, too timid to follow Jack to the ships ! I suppose the full history of Jack will never be written in this world where he was born? Was he born in this bay and left an orphan when young? He has never left his sacred shrine. Perhaps his mother made him promise never to leave, but visit every passing ship. ' Twenty years seen every voyage night or day by one captain. So said Captain ( of the s.s. Rotomahana, with whom I chatted on the bridge coming into Wellington. He felt sometimes as though Jack saw him, heard him whistle, sing, speak, and, in fact, knew him, all of which I do not doubt. One special uigh'tf, ! quiet and 1 calm, Ithe captain said Jack came as usual, but was on this special night companionable and kept opposite the bridge and seemed to want to talk with him. The captain did not go so far as this, but his thoughtful short sentences, the way he looked ,and paused, and more what he j did not say than what he said, im- 1 pressed me with the fact that he had j during these night-watches, fellowship | with this unique flaming spirit of fire, loyally and regularly coming to his ship in the darkness of the night. Pelorus Jack is a mother if my original theory is correct, that she and her husband, shortlv after their marriage, eame to these islets, channels, bays, on their honeymoon, and began to play about passing sailing ships! But one day a oig steamer came through the pass, the first they had ever seen ; and, in having their usual recreation and games, the husband was struck by the swift propeller, and was so grievously wounded that he died. Then in her grief his wife would never leave the haunts of their first love, feeling that in some way or another the spirit of i her lord is on board one of these stemers, and so she visits every one; but always keeps to the forepart of the ship, rather than in the neighbourhood of the churning, flying, dangerous pro- 1 dgllgv ' Shot at.— One day a wicked, thoughtless passenger, calling himself a sportsman, shot at this friendly visitant, and the ball took a glancing run, and it is said you can see the scar to this day. Act of Parliament for the Fish.— There have been Acts of Parliament, no doubt, in all lands, for the protecUon and production of fish, and perhaps there ought to be more ; but this is the first time in the history of the world that a special Act of Parliament has been passed for tho preservation of ( one individual fish, making it illegal and penal for any wicked person to injure oVkill it. Jack is known to all tourists in these parts and all New Zealand, and I hope will soon be throughout Australasia and the world. Possibly a decree went forth from tlie King ot only visited Jonah's ship, hearing the king's seaJ, to all kingdoms of sea and land, threaten* the penalty of death and other dreadful penalties, if they should conspire to kill, or even injure, the Pelorus Jack (of that day) who not ony Wished Jonah's ship, hearing the cry of tlie heathen sailors, but waited there to take care of Jopah in a friendly manner, and brought him safe to shore ! I am afraid that Jonah, Uke many ungrateful persons, when he got ashore

forgot the shtpmen, and the unique submarine which followed his ship and rescued his life.

Ever after this night's experience, and Thursday's return from Nelson to Wellington, which will be by day, when I shall watch and hope to see this friend of sailors and ships, I, shall associate our Pelorus Jack with Jonah's unique visitor, and no doubt this is a direct descendant !

i 1861.— T0 back up my theory, I had a chat with a notable citizen, Mr Lightband, who landed in Nelson (if my memory serves me well) in 1844, and he remembers in 1851 going to Christchurch in a sailing craft, which took him six weeks, for there were no steamers in his day doing the run. He didn't see Pelorus Jack then, because what I suggest had not happened, but he saw him afterwards, some thirty years ago. O that I could get on the bridge, in the middle watch, with some of those Union captains who have not been spoilt by any sceptical views as to sea monsters, mysteries and like things, by short voyages, and to talk to them when the spirit of the deep is in possession, half mysterious, halt delightfully superstitious, and partly invisible to landlubbers. It is seldom that the latter— unless by sympathy and intuition— can fathom the depts of the sailor's heart, and get to know his fear (not of peril), feeling, faith, outlook, and the inexpiesssible something, which comes from close touch with the forces of nature and all the spiritual and eternal that lies behind them. Well, I should like to get into the inner shrine of the aailorl's heart, where his ideas take shape as to his thoughts and experiences re the mysteries of the sea, including Pelorus Jack.

His family is not yet determined. It is said he has the tail of a shark, the fins of another fish, and the head of another, that he has a blow and spouts like a whale ! This is what some sailors say, but I saw no blow hole. Keeps no Company. — My watchman informed me that when "Jack" is in charge of the ship (so to speak) no other fish intrudes upon his sacred function. It- was only when this miracle of the deep had left some sixty seconds before I got to the bows, that these other fish, called by me her children, came and performed, in their less important manner, this role of leadership. Training her Children.ls she, however, training her children to follow her example when called to another sphere; for I do hope bird, beast, fish, etc., will find a place with me in the great beyond? Never Sleeps. — So it appears to the passing sailors. Because any hour, night or day, every ship, big or small, fast or slow, passing through the French Pa^s is met by the vigilant watcher — Pelorus Jack. Perhaps this mysterious queen of the deep haa her sentinels at each end of the Pass, with regular watches set, so that directly a ship is sighted, a messenger swims off to "Jack's" sacred abode and gives the signal ! Or is there an ocean telegraphy other than ours, wireless, and there comes the gentle but swift signal to a sensitive part of her body, brain, or spirit, telling the latitude and longitude of the coming steamer? Account for it as you may, Jack is there. Slow Rather Than Swift Preferred. — One sailor told me Jack prefers the slower medium speed rather than those fast twenty railers. This may be because .Jack is getting into years, or more probably because she likes to welcome the visitor, and desires him lovingly to prolong his stay without overdoing it. Another sailor says there is nothing in it, as "Jack" can easily beat the fastest boat afloat?

Saw Pelorus Jack at 10.30 a.m. this Thursday morning from the bow of the s.s. Penguin. As we were nearing the Frenoh Pass Captain Hunter, a smartyoung shipmaster of 31, eaid I must go on to the upper bridge. It i» called the French Pass because a French ship is supposed to have been the first sailing ship to have gone through. More by luck than good management, said the sailor. In any case, the island on the one side is called D'Urville, and the wide, open bay on both sides narrows down to 150 feet about, and heaves with the cross sets of the water's whirpools and swirlings. Here it is Pelorus Jack haa her rendezvous.

Threo men were at the wheel, working with might and main, captain and officer on enther side, as we rushed by the lighthouse on the starboard side on our way from Nelson to Picton. The lighthouse, with the big beacon just on the other side, to which the man standing there could sling a biscuit, stands on the edge of the water. Steps, a veritable Jacob's ladder, lead up to the house of the light-keeper, standing upon a plateau above. Wind is strong this morning, rushing down these high, but deep cut gorges, and makes it difficult, to see Pelorus Jack. But here is a little launch waiting outside the whirpools with a passenger and some mail it may be. Here she is rushing like a sinall torpedo from the starboard shore, and whrile we are going full speed ahead she raised her large head level with the water, went to the port side, returned and went ahead for a few minutes, then seemed to touch our starboard side going with the ship, and looking up saw me, a son of Neptune, with flowing beard, and a lot of eager passengers, and apparently not caring to be gazed at by mere curiosity, dived and left us after making the morning call quite short. She may have thought by a lady having a big rug over her head, that there was another snap-shot to be taken of her figure and fascinating person. She looked so happy and queenly as though it was her veritable domain, and she a queen of all she surveyed. No shark, no swordfish, whale, sea-ser-pent, or other monster of the deep attacks or disputes her reign, She is never seen on the other side of the sound, but keeps to her own marine parish. Pelorus Sound.— A little steam fishing boat has just come alongside, and we havo taken in three big bags of fish, and now we turn the point and enter Pelorus Sound, receiving its name after the historic fish, or the other way about.

Is it the Last?— One man has raised the horrible suggestion tbat Pelorus Jack is the last of her species, but I

truai not; and may a right royal consort come, and whatever may have been the tragedy of the past, may the future be crowned with a family that shall continue the race of sons and daughters of Pelorus Jack, the loving friend of eyery passing ship. Passing throngh these marvellous sounds of Picton, bo prettily situated, wo soon came into Cook Strait, meeting a small fleet of (steamers outward bound, and reached Wellington (which I left on Tuesday afternoon: at 4 p.m.) on Thursday at 8 p.m. My kind host, Mr W. Glasgow, chief of H.M. Customs, asked me of my flying visit to Nelson. I told him in a word that I arrived on Wednesday, at 5 a.m., at historic Nelson. A glorious sunrise lit up sea, shore,, and sky. It appeared a perfect paradise, with hills stretching from sea to sea and snow-capped mountains beyond. That early morning drive about the streets, -all bearing the names of Nelson's famous admirals, captains, battleships, etc;, and np some two miles to Bishopdale,-. would never be forgotten. Sucii a cTal*^ and such a bishop with a gracious -^wife to receive the Secretary. I told him I addressed Nelson's College, the Garl's College, two State schools, girls and boys, and a big representative meeting in the evening, at which" the Mayor {Mr J. Piper) presided; the Bishop Mules spoke, so did Mr A. T. Maginnity, the Chairman of the Nelson Education Board ; and the Kev. Grattan Guinness, the eminent preacher, writer, and teacher, and that I had in my arms the lately arrived son of the gifted Doctor; that a bust of Nelson was presented to the City of Nelson, etc. ... But T saw thero was something at'"' the back of the mind of my thoughtful, judicial friend, far exceeding in importance anything I had stated, and he asked: "'Did you Bee Pelorus Jack!" (To he continuea.s