Nothing further happened to change the usual daily events
until we reached Barbadoes. Flying-fish on the wing striking our sails,
at night, often fell on deck, affording us many a toothsome fry. This
happened daily, while sailing throughout the trade-wind regions. To be
hit by one of these fish on the wing, which sometimes occurs, is no
light matter, especially if the blow be on the face, as it may cause a
bad bruise or even a black eye. The head of the flying-fish being rather
hard makes it in fact a night slugger to be dreaded. They never come
aboard in the daylight. The swift darting bill-fish, too, is a danger to
be avoided in the tropics at night. They are met with mostly in the
Pacific Ocean; therefore South Sea Islanders are loath to voyage during
the "bill-fish season."
As to the flight of these fishes, I would estimate that of the
flying-fish as not exceeding fifteen feet in height, or five hundred
yards of distance, often not half so much.
Bill-fish, darting like an arrow from a bow, have, fortunately for
sailors, not the power or do not rise much above the level of the waves,
and cannot dart further, say, than two hundred and fifty feet,
according to the day for jumping.
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