The Sun.
London, England, 1833-06-27 00:00:00

THAMES OFFICE.

Robert Watson, a seaman, was charged with stealing a
box containing money, trinkets, a gold medal, and other
articles of considerable value, the property of Mr. Joseph
Pouchin, on the high seas.
The prisoner, in his defence, complained that be had
been " shockingly wctllopped to get the truth out of him."

Mr. BALLANTINE committed him to take bis trial at the
next Admiralty Sessions.

THE GYMNOTUS, OR ELECTRICAL EEL.

Nothing excites so much interest am ong tra-
vellers at Calabozo as the animated electrical
machine, the gymnotus, or American torpedo,
on which M. Humboldt made a series of highly-
satisfactory experiments. These electrical eels
inhabit the Rio Colorada, Guarapiche, and
several small streams which cross the Chayma
missions, as well as the Orinoco, the Meta, and
the Maranham ; and in the lanes, particularly in
the environs of Calabozo, the -pools of stagnant
water, and the streams which fall into the
Orinoco, are filled with them. They are at
once dreaded and detested by the natives. The
muscular part of the flesh is tolerably good eat-
ing ; but the electric organ, which fills more
than two-thirds of the body, is slimy and disa-
greeable, and is accordingly carefully separated
from the lest. The presence of the gymnoti
is considered as the principal cause of the want
of fish in the ponds and pools of the lanos.
They kill many more than they devour ; and all
the inhabitants of the waters, lizards, frogs, and
tortoises, dread and endeavour to escape their
society. The Indians sometimes take young
alligators and gymnoti in the same net, and the
latter are never found in that case to display the
slightest wound, having evidently disabled the
alligators before they could attack them. It was
found necessary to change the direction of a
road near Uritucu, because these electrical eels
were so numerous in one river, that they killed
a great number of mules every year as they
forded the water.

Desirous of making some experiments on
these remarkable fish, the learned traveller re-
paired to a stream in which they abound, and
where the Indians offered their services in
fishing for them with horses. Having caught
about thirty wild horses and mules, they forced
them to enter the pool. The extraordinary
noise caused by the horses' hoofs makes the fish
issue from the mud, and excites them to com-
bat. These yellowish and livid eels, resembling
large aquatic serpents, swim on the surface of
the water, and crowd under the bellies of the
horses and mules. A contest between animals
of so different an organization furnishes a
very striking spectacle. The Indians, pro-
vided with harpoons and long slender reeds,
surround the pool closely ; and some climb
upon the trees, the branches of which ex-
tend horizontally over the surface of the water.
By their wild cries and the length of their reds
they prevent the horses from running away and

t

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, PPI(
fife; ken dividedj
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reaching the bank of the pool. rr,. !.',14 the.. AfAji
stunned by the noise, defend themselves iries.4it they al
repeated discharge of their electric beltcto-IlinlaY he w
During a long time they seem to prove, kpee ASS an.
rious. Several horses sink beneath they 00,10(8141
of the invisible strokes which they recei
all sides in organs the most essential 1° f the lon the i
and, stunned by the force and frequencgisof itZanee S
shocks, they disappear under the water. vi,eyes, vlau,; to
panting, with mane .erect, and haggsru- aer !it, fl
expressing anguish, raise themselves and 0, ire!tretary,4
your to flee from the storm by which the)giairle or an
overtaken. They are driven back by the Iljiti-'•!.°1:1)fror
into the water ; but a small number suctett.is'?. .
eluding the active vigilance of the fish'itp, t", t---....._
These regain the shore, stumbling at everitoll ROYALIir
and stretch themselves on the sand, elcht' 'the! HE
with fatigue, and their limbs benumbedll
electric shocks of the gymnoti.
In less than five minutes two horses
drowned. The eel, being five feet Joni
pressing itself against the belly of the I
makes a discharge along the whole ext'
its electric organ. It attacks at once the
the intestines, and the plexus creliacus
abdominal nerves. It is natural that the
felt by the horses should be more powerful
that produced upon man by the touch
same fish at only one of his extremities.
horses are probably not killed, but only stt .
They are drowned from the impossibilll
rising amid the prolonged struggle between
other horses and the eels.

We had little doubt that the fishing
terminate by killing successively all the al
engaged; but by degrees the impetuosity
unequal combat dimiuislicd, and the
gymnoti dispersed. They require, a long
and abundant nourishment, to repair what
have lost of galvanic force. The mules
horses appear less flightened; their mar
no longer bristled, anti their eyes express
dread. The gymnoti approach timidly the
of the marsh, where they are taken by m'
small harpoons fastened to long cords.
the cords are very dry the Indians feel no
in raising the fish into the air. In a few ra
we had five large eels, the greater part of
were but slightly wounded.
It would be temerity to expose oursel
the first shocks of a very large and st:
irritated gymnotus. If by chance you reel
stroke before the fish is wounded, or weara•
a long pursuit, the pain and numbness are
violent that it is impossible to describe the '
of the feeling they excite. Ido not re:
having ever received, from the discharge
large Leyden jar, a more dreadful shock
that which I experienced by imprudently 1,
both my feet on a gymnotus just taken °of
the water. I was affected the rest of theoloil
with a violent pain in the knees, and in al
every joint. tisl
Gymnoti are neither charged conductors, ty
batteries, nor electro-motive apparatuses, so
shock of which is received every time thelo
touched with one hand, or when both hands
applied to form a conducting circle between!,
heterogeneous poles. The electric action 01
fish depends entirely on its will; whether ;
cause it does not keep its electric organs al!
charged, or by the secretion of some fluid, '
any other means alike mysterious to us, I;
capable of directing the action of its orgall
an external object. We often tried, both it 0
lated and uninsulated, to touch the fish, wig:
feeling the least shock. When M. BonP;
held it by the head, or by the middle of
ai
body, while I held it by the tail, and, Wle
,
on the moist ground, did not take each at
hand, one of us received shocks which the oth
did not feel. It depends upon the gymnotus
act toward the point where it finds itself the"' ,i
strongly irritated. The discharge is then 19.-
at one point only, and not at the neighbon.
points. If two persons touch the belly 01
fish with their fingers, at an inch distance,
press it simultaneously, sometimes one, 59
times the other, will receive the shock.
The torpedo of Cumana and of Europe,. the
not be compared, in its electric powers, with
true gymnotus, although it is able to cause
,gff
painful sensations. They differ also, specifile
in some of their characteristics. In bolhitio
torpedo and the gymnotus, however, theo6.oo
is a vital action, dependent on the will °,llO
animal. It cannot be passively dischargen,tir
a Voltaic pile or a Leyden phial, but mu!"
irritated to induce the shock. The Spa° to
give them in common the name of temblad4oo
iremblers (i. e. producers of trembling); 1%40
is remarkable that the electrical fish of the 10$
is called rhadd, which is said to signify °
causes trembling.

In the Court of Common Pleas, on Tuesjel/1
an attorney, named DEAN, brought an action of $llO
against two gentlemen, named I-1033 and Law's.
DEAN and a friend, named WALSH, being too late f°hrefe.
Richmond steamer, engaged a boat to take them
On getting some way up the river, they saw the 0
Adelaide, Richmond steamer, and they got on boar Tit,
afterwards appeared that a private party had engageuird.:
steamer, and Mr. DEAN and his friend were defl.o,l
somewhat sharply, to leave the vessel. Mr. WA16511 $O,
he would do so if a'ked in a gentlemanly manner, of
A.lr DEAN declared he would not quit except by 01*sol
awn; on which a boat was called, and the plaintiPoit
his friend thrust into it. They went to Richmond, op;
instead of enjoying themselves as they had intendedtioi.
hunting about for a Magistrate, but were unsucceo/
their search. Verdict for the plaintiff—D images !It?'
We hear that the case of " The K01g,04
Teynharn and Donlan" is in a train of settlerticat'.oft
that no further appeal will be made to the opinions of .3 14
COMMON INFORMERS INDICTED Foftelf
CONSPIRACY.—On Saturday, JOHN BYERS, the id°. yr
and GEORGE STAPLETON, one of his journeyroeo4,'
tended at the Middlesex Sessions to put in bail ter 6. 00
spiracy against coach proprietors. It appears thnicr
Thursday list, the Grand Jury found a true bill of 0 rod
ment against them for a conspiracy. Tlie prose° d'
was instituted by a Committee of coach proprietoooe
pointed to protect the trade against the tricks of CO° 10
informers. The defendants put in bail, themselfe,
1001 , and two sureties in 501. I

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