A RARE FISH prose summary

A RARE FISH

By Thor Heyerdahl

INTRODUCTION

Thor Heyerdahl is a famous Norwegian Ethnologist, explorer and writer. He is known for his practical demonstration of early racial migrations. Rare Fish is an extract from his famous work Kon Tiki (1950). It narrates the experience of the author Thor and his six colleagues on a voyage. 

MAJESTY OF THE SEA

On the first day of their voyage the raft was surrounded by fish. As they were occupied with steering, they didn't not notice it much. On the second day they went through a thick shoal of sardines and an eight foot blue shark which played around them but disappeared as they raised a harpoon to strike. 

THE FLYING FISH

As they were near the equator they witnessed the projectile of flying fish glittering in the sun shooting from water and vanishing beneath the surface. If the paraffin lamp was set in the deck at night the flying fish were attracted to it. Unable to take off they would remain in the raft helplessly. Sometimes the projectile of flying fish would hit the people on the raft which brought great pain.However soon it would be forgotten for the cook would make delicious fish dishes out of them. There were usually half a dozen or more and one morning they found Twenty six fat flying fish in the raft. 

THE SNAKE FISH

Torstein's sleeping-place was near the doorway and one morning he found a sardine on his pillow. Few nights later Torstein was sleeping in his usual place keeping a paraffin lamp near his head so that the night watchers would watch out for him. About four in the morning he was woken up by something cold and wet flapping about his ears. He thought it was a flying fish and caught hold of it but it was long and wiggled like a snake. Herman in the dark thought it could be an octopus. Torstein lit a lamp and found Herman holding a long thin fish which looked like an eel. The fish was three feet long, slender like a snake with full black eyes and jaw full of sharp teeth. Soon the snake fish throwed up an eight inch long large-eyed white fish and soon after came another like it. 

THE RARE FISH

They were like deep water fish. The second fish's skin was thin and bluish violet on the back and steel blue underneath. Bengt saw the fish and said that dush like it doesn't exist. They were the first men to see this fish alive. Ichthyologists called it Gempylus or snake mackerel and thought it lived at great depth in the sea. They thought as no one ever saw the fish before they would travel abroad high over the surface at night. However the people on board were the first to witness the rare fish. 

CONCLUSION

The story narrates the adventurous experience of the author and his fellowmen on the voyage, their observations on the sea and their encounter with the rare fish Gempylus or Snake Mackerel.