TURTLE AND SUCKERS
Generally unprogressive and uninventive, the aboriginals of the coast of
North Queensland apply practically the result of the observation of a
certain fact in the life-history of a fish in obtaining food. By them
the sucker (REMORA) is not regarded as an interesting example of a fish
which depends largely upon turtle, dugong, sharks and porpoises for
locomotion, but as a ready means of effecting the capture of the two
first-mentioned animals, always eagerly hunted for their flesh.
In the days of hoary antiquity it was believed that this strange fish
was wont to affix itself to the bottom of a ship, and was able of its
malice to hold it stationary in a stiff breeze though all sails were
set. According to the legend (a popular method by means of which the
descendants of great men explained away their faults and blunders), at
the famous sea-fight at Actium, Mark Antony's ship was held back by a
remora in spite of the efforts of hundreds of willing galley-slaves.
Shakespeare may say that Cleopatra's "fearful sails" were the cause of
Antony's fatal indecision and flight, and a lesser poet may cast the
blame upon her "timid tear"; but the tribute to the remora's
interference with the fate of nations was accepted in good faith at the
time, and was, moreover, supported and confirmed by the inglorious
experience of other great men who hung back when they should have sailed
boldly on to victory or noble disaster.
Pages:
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383