"PELORUS JACK."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 220, 10 June 1908, Page 11

"PELORUS JACK."

A PISCATORIAL WONDER. (By Gordon Shaw in "The Field.") " Pelorus Jack," the white fish of tho French Pass, Now Zealand, is certainly a unique sight, and is the most mysterious fish in tho world. Each timo I visit New Zealand I make a special trip by steamor to see and photograph him. But wherever mention is made of this wonderful creature and his curious ways, the story is received with incredulity. Pcoplo wink and say, "Well! Surely this is quite the biggest fish story I" And it is because I have everywhere met with so much of this sceptical unbelief (in spite of showing photographs and other documentary evidence) that I am acceding to- a request and giving the "Field" a true'account of this the only fish in tho world which has a special Act of Parliament for his particular protection; for this fish, known as Pclorus Jack, is so protected by a, Special Order in Council of the New Zealand Government.- 1 Polorus Jack is a white fish about 9ft. 6in. long; ho lives in Pelorus Sound— a narrow channel (about three hours' steam from Nolson) traversed by steamers plying between Picton and Nelson; New Zealand.

A Friendly Fellow. For eighteen years past he has regularly met and greeted steamers passing through this vicinity, not always at exactly the same place,- but within a limit of distance, near the Chotwode Isles. There is'only one "fish. He comes to, and continues at, the bow of the vessel, never to its stern. He does not come for food, and has never been known to accept any., He remains' in sight, accompanying the ship for perhaps seven or ten minutes, or mayße fifteen or twenty—just according to where lie first joins her. Meanwhile lie swims at her bows, diving from one side to the other, leaping out of. tho water, and diving under—plainly visiblo—just like a white torpedo. Then ho leaves as suddenly as he appeared, and for that occasion Jack is done, for he nover reappears, or goes beyond certain points of his domain in either direction. Most of the steamer traffic passes through this channel in tho dark, but, be it day or night, Jack comes out all the same from the rocky, caving shore to greet and escort his favourite vessels. _ On a still night in that clear-blue water his is indeed spectre-like and meteoric.

Photographing Jack. 1 But the tourist, who usually smiles incredulously at the whole story, times to go a daylight trip to see and photograph fcEo fish. But, alas! as ruost find, everything is against successful work. Excited people jostling at the bows, the moving vessel, and Jack's continual sportiveness all combine against a good photo; for be it remembered that every movement of Jack's, his every splash, means white—to detract from a clear dofinition of his own white form on a photographic negativo. But perhaps the most extraordinary/habit of this fish is his undoubted ability to discriminate at a considerable distance between different steamers—probably by their screw beats. And ho has his favourites. For many years he regularly met and greeted the s.s. Penguin and Wainui, the two small coasters plying between Wellington and' jfolso'n. They were his especial favourites, sharing equally his favour.

Scarred by a steamer. But one day in the summer of 1905, when Jack, possibly, was careless in his gambols, the bow of tno Pe ( nguin struck him sharply, leaving a scar, clearly visible long after, on his off side; and it is true that for months ( after\vards he would not again como close to her —if, indeed, ho does even now. Though after this lie showed to her as usual, he kept well out on her beam. She had injured him, arid ,he knew her and remembered it. Somo time previous to this .incident, whon those two favourite steamer's met in his domain, going in opposito directions, lie, after being with one, turned and caught up with tho other, escorting her' also for a time. He does not show to sailing vessels or small coasting tramps, and only at some distance off to strange steamors of size, and not in close friendship at the bows. 'When last in New Zealand, I as usual, to see Jack. On this occasion I was favoured with a letter from the manager of the Union Steamship Company in Wellington to Captain Backstrom, of the s.s: Wainui. It was this latter gentleman who, eighteen years ago, first dis-covered'and-reported the regular appearanco of jthis white fish to the -.Union Steamship Company's officials at Wollington. Conse-' quent on tho skipper's advice (and his absolute certainty that Jack never failed to como to his ship), I went down to Nelson in tho now Clyde-built s.s. Arahura, in ordej- to get the Wainui at Nelson and come back in her on a daylight trip. On tho way down Jack showed to the Arahura for some minutes at the usual part as wc passed through his domain, but a little distance out 011 the port side. This was only as I had expected, for she was a new and much faster boat. At Nolson I duly transhipped on to the Wainui to 'come back. This was in October, 1905. I remember it was Trafalgar Day, for tho Governor was present at tho Nolson celebrations. I got two good photos of Jack out of a dozen I snapped, which mostly' showed only his splash, made' after a leap out of the water. On this occasion I watched him carefully for fully ten minutes engaged in his regular joyous gymnastic performances at tho bows. The scar dealt him earlior in the year by the s.B. Penguin was/plainly visible stilL Jack's Species.

Discussion frequently occurs as to what species Jack really belongs. Locally they style him tho " white wnalo." The New Zealand Government's Order-in-Council describes him as "the fish or mammal known as ltisso's dolphin." Most people who seo him consider he resembles a shark, with his semicircular mouth under a protruding snout", and a photo I once got _of his back fin out of the water rather supports this idea. No one has ever succeeded in getting a photograph of hiß tail, which would go far to determine his species, but, for obvious reasons, that is almost impossible to secure. But a species of fish, called "blaekfish" locally,' somewhat like the porpoise, frequent the New Zealand coast, and it is generally con-' sidered that he is one of them. As to his : length, and also tho time he has been known,' I have seen both of these points V considerably extended" in print to respectively "from 12ft. to 15ft," and "known for 33 years." Now, I am,quite sure that this fish is not more than 10ft. long, and it seems pretty certain that his authentic appearance in Pelorus Sound does not date before 1889, when the peculiar fact was noted and reported by Captain Backstrom, from whom 1 nave a letter to this effect, and about the fish generally. But I liavp been told that many years ago—over 30 —two white fish, always together, did frequent the\west coast of Now Zealand (the late Mr. Seddon told mo of this when talking to him on one occasion about Pelorus Jack), and about these two an interesting legend was told me by an old Maori chief near Nelson. Briefly, it was this:—

A Legend. Years and years ago, before tho 'pakelia (white man) came, the prince of an Auckland tribo, hearing of the great beauty and charm of a princoss on tho west coast, came down with many followers in canoes. He saw her, and was conquored. But hor father, tho Maori chief, would havo nono of him. Ho oidored tho princo off, and threatened his life if ho, caught him again on his territory, lint the love was mutual, and tho princo, though not allowed to land, hung around in his canoe, meeting tho princess often and sccietly at the water's edge. For long this continued. The prince's followers loft or died, and ovon his own canoe rotted and fell to pieces. Then tbey met in the shallow waters ar, the edgo, till in course of time Nature took pity 011 thoir love, and gavo 'to each tho shape and fins of fish, enabling them to depart and live happily for years as fish on the coast, till, alas! tho princoss died. Then the prince's grief was very great; ho sworo to livo alone,' a hermit's life for over, and sought a lonely cave in Pelorus Sound, where lie still rules. So runs the legend. But Poloru6 Jack is no.legend, no fisherman's yam. He ia a visible faot which can bo verified.

Thousands have soon him who, til] they did, discredited the whole story as absurd and impossible. It is difficult to offer an explanation for the extraordinary ways of this fish, and I have never heard any theory advanced. But I suggest that his white colour is itself the reason and explanation for his solitary life and peculiar ways. It may have eomo to him only in later years—the result of great ho may have been born a "'freak." In either case its strangeness is sufficient to ostracise him from association with .his follows. They fear him and fly at his approach. Ho is a foreign, uncanny creaturo to them. Probably they chase him and have tried to kill him. So ho lives alone. Pclorus Jack is an outcast; ho has no friends, no fish of his kind to frolic with him over the seas. And the steamers ? Probably he thinks them big fish. They at least do not shun or hurt him, and they swim quickly. So in their goings and comings ho accompanies them, enjoying their fellowship and friendly spirit so far as he may dare to the limit of Ilia haunt, for bovond that he knows that creatures of his own kind may attack him.