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METAMORPHOSES OF FISH 307
a cat. They declare that it squalls
and that its bones are white and fine like
harpooned,
like a cat when
a cat's hairs. Similarly the ikan tumuli is believed to
be a human being who has been drowned in the river,
and the ikan kalul to be a monkey transformed. Some
specially favoured observers have seen monkeys half
through the process of metamorphosis half-monkey
and half-fish." 1
Similarly, the Dugong (Malay duyong]
leavings," the story being that it had
originally the same amount of flesh
on both sides, but that the Prophet
Muhammad, having eaten the whole side
of one of these fish (which had been
cooked and served up to him as a meal)
cast the remaining side back into the
sea, whereupon it revived and commenced
swimming about as if nothing
had happened, retaining, however, the
shape of a flat fish to the present day.
Cp. the following note in Sale's
Translation of the Kordn :
"This miracle is thus related by the
commentators. Jesus having, at the re-
quest of his followers, asked it of God,
a red table immediately descended, in
their sight, between two clouds, and was
set before them, whereupon he rose up,
and having made the ablution, prayed,
and then took off the cloth which
covered the table, saying, In the name
of God, the best provider offood. What
the provisions were with which this
table was furnished is a matter wherein
the expositors are not
will have them to be
agreed. One
nine cakes of
bread and nine fishes ; another, bread
is asserted
of herbs, except leeks, and five loaves
of bread, on one of which there were
olives, on the second honey, on the
third butter, on the fourth, cheese, and
on the fifth, dried flesh. They add
that Jesus, at the request of the apostles,
showed them another miracle, by re-
storing the fish to life, and causing its
scales and fins to return to it, at which
the slanders -by being affrighted, he
caused it to become as before ; that
1300 men and women, all afflicted
with bodily infirmities or poverty, ate
of these provisions and were satisfied,
the fish remaining whole as it was at
first ; that then the table flew up to
heaven in the sight of all ; and every
one who had partaken of this food were
delivered from their infirmities and mis-
fortunes ; and that it continued to
descend for forty days together at
dinner-time, and stood on the ground
till the sun declined, and was then
taken up into the clouds. Some of the
Mohammedan writers are of opinion
that this table did not really descend,
but that it was only a parable ; but
most think the words of the Koran are
and flesh ; another, all sorts of food,
except flesh ; another, all sorts of food
except bread and flesh ; another, all
except bread and fish ; another, one
fish, which had the taste of all manner
of food and ; another, fruits of paradise,
but the most received tradition is that
when the table was uncovered, there
appeared a fish ready dressed, without
scales or prickly fins, dropping with
fat, having salt placed at its head and
vinegar at its plain
tail, and round it all sorts
to the contrary. A further tradition
is, that several men were changed
into swine for disbelieving this miracle,
and attributing it to magic art ; or, as
others pretend, for stealing some of the
victuals from off it. Several other
fabulous circumstances are also told
which are scarce worth transcribing."
Sale's Kor&n Trans, ch. v.
p. 87,
note.
i Maxwell mJ.R.A.S,, S.B., No. 7,
p. 26.