Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-10-20
OLD SERIES. VOL. 81, NO. At.

self furiously through the water, or vaults
high into the air !" a eapaciOus mouth three
feet wide," with gape sufficient 10 receive
"iwo aldermen abress, - two fins, one pro-
jcciing from each side Of the mouth, called
horns or arms. bu, properly, instruments Of
prehen,ion, used as feelers or feeders, with
which il sweeps inrois large mouth the small
fish, shrimps and fry, upon which ], preys ;
two prominent, eyes, one pace at the haGs Of
each horn or arm, and about four feet apart ;
skin sharre,n like that Of the shark {: teeth
very small, not more Than twice the slIa Of as
peri.es upon the scales mouth lined with ten
double rows Of sirliners, a curious bat beauti.
ful apparatus, fine soive through which il in.
| fltra;cs the water. and secures the small ant
mails upon which !, feeds colSr dusky black
above, with long, duskY, opaque clouds ~.
meath, on a white gruund these. all eons,a.
| ed. present singular form Of animated ns.
ture-ihe devil fish.
Unlike his contemporary the shark which
according TO tho classification of Professor
Agassiz. as of,hc same order of fish, tho pla.
cold, the devil feb is very lively animal hc
leaps often and high into the air, and with 4
half somerset or flap ofhis wing, falls back
into his slcmen, with a great noise ard a
splash. II is no uncommon amusement il
amusement indeed il is, for this fsh TO pi-k
up the rrlpnel Of some fishing boa, or other
crah, with his horns or.arns, (which be plies
rapidly before his mouth, while he svims aud
clasp, with the utmost ohsiinacy whatever
body il NAV inclosc;" dart or suddenly and
with great rapidity drag afer il the boat and
iis crew, ,nd aner an excursion Of = mile
or ,vo relax his hold and to escape. but he
does not always freely looss himself at his
pleasure frequently he becomes entangled in
the rore, in his struggle to eItriclie himself,
turns somcrset,, twisting the rope into coils,
,nvcloping himself within them, and thus for
fsi. his life TO his ,emcri,y.
In a, similar manner vas the subject Of
this paper taken. A large schooner was an
chorcd few rods from the break.waier At
Sullivan. Island, di.charping her cargo into
hit, or lighter. To'friliate the passage NJ
the lighter from and To the vessel, a hawser
wa, extended from the latter. and the ends
made fast on the shore. the slack Of the rope
swinging loosely several feet below the sur
face Of the water. the tide about half ebb, and
the current rapid suddenly the schooner was
discoveied to be- adrin, a. the captain suppos-
ed. and swinging round towards the shore.
Upon looking TO the hawser Tor relief, he saw
that devil fish wa, entanpled in the blight.
This vas about seven O'Clock in the evening !,
and not before midnight, and aher much la
Dor and considerable risk NJ lie. did he sue
coed in bringing him alongside tho vessel
properly secured.
During each struggle the fish dragged the
schooner, anchor and all, about three hundred
,-,,I.. H. A-.--, ..--. s.-.- E----.s -I-.r
cd around the llawsor and from the number
of somerssis he mode, many round turns and
coils of the rope were passed abou, hrs body.
A few years ago. and near the place where
this occurred a scow was anchored, belonging
To the government. and used as lighter for
stone in blilding the breakwater, The erW
were engaged on the work ashore. Sudden
" she was seen moving at rapid rate out to
sen boats were sent in pursuit, and ahsr 4
long chase Of several miles. she was overiiken
and found to- bo safe at anchor. II spresum-
cd that one ofihese fish was the cause Of the
mysterious flight Of the .cow cllsping his
horn, around the stock ~ the anchor. he tug
gel her through the narrow and wind ne chan.
mel. ,nd moorcd her safely in The otTng Civ.
ING the crew a long chase and tedious row.
and elicilng many malodictic1s from the sail.
ors upon the head ofthe marine representative
Of hs Satanic Majesty.
To the Hon. William Elliot, Of Beaufort,
South Carolin,, we are indebted for a know
ledge Of the habits OF this animal and mode Of
capture. Mr.. Ellio, has taken mDrc than
twenty, and perhaps harPooned twice or thrice
that number which have escaped. His sue
ces, as a sportsman, and his skill displayed
in this exciting and dangerous amusement,
by which he has killed larger number Of devil
fish than perhaps any other individual living
or dead, eniiie him to the complimentary aP-
pellaiion, which seems to have been unani.
mously accorded him, OF the deVilfsh King
ICharleston Mercury.