Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-10-24
EVENING STAR.
RANC1SC0 DE LA VEGA.
THE FISH MAN.

pher. Some have thought it possible for hir
| to live in the water like a whale and in sun
port OF this theory the extraordinary aquati
feats of the Greenlanders and the inhabitapt
of the shores of the Mediterranean, the Soutl
Sea Islanders, and the Chinese have bee,
pointed to Many men have been known {
swim thirty miles day; and the famou
Neapoltan diver, commonly called Ii Pesce
| once performed the distance of fifty miles IN
f~enty-fOur hours, on the coast of CaIabria
AT various periods strange reports have bee
spread relative TO human beings who hav,
been found living either in sea, caves, or on
the bosom of the mighty deep itself; and amid
the numerous examples brought forward t.
| prove this amphibious nature of man, prob
ably none is more curious than the following
But let US premise that it is no offspring o.
the present writer's Imagination. Whether
| the anecdote be in itself absolutely true. OF
| an exaggerated account of q singular and
| somewhat startling occurrence, We cannot pre-.
tend to determine; but we can undertake to
| say that no doubt was entertained on the SUBJ
Jet by cotemrOrary writer's, and that il ha s
bsen treated as an established fact by Tiec
the German poet.
If you open the map of Spain on the south.
ern shore of the Bay Of Biscay, between Astu.
rias and Old CASTLE, you will find the San
tander not far distant from Santillana, the
birth place Of our old friend Gil Bias and in
close proximity to Santander, you will see the
name Of Lierganes. This is a place of no
particular interest, except what il derives
from Its connection with the following nara
tive The surrounding scenery is mountain
Gus, and the landscape stretched down through
Picturesque valleys 10 the sea. Here two
hundred years ago, lived a poor but honest
couple named Francisco de la Vega and Ma
ia his wife, together with their four sons.
Ihomas-who was already priest-Joseph,
Francisco and Juan.
Francisco, named after bis father, was born
IL the year 1857, and soon began to evince a
wonderful predilection for the water Even
IL early youth he was constantly either bath
i'g cr angling in the river that flows through
tie district. The same year that usherei
young Francisco into the world saw the last of
his male prOgenitor, so that the task Of main
tanning her family mainly rested with Maria
and her sons Incidence was the source Of con-
slant grief to the poor woman. In vain did
she exert herself 10 send him to school the
good for nothing fellow was constantly seen
during study hours either swimming or loiter-
ing about his favorite stream. At length poor
Maria lost all patience with her child, and In
a moment of frenzy she cursed him, bidding
him betake himself altogether to the sea, and
get his living there, as he was Of no use on
earth. Now, a mothers curse is fearful
thing anywhere; but among southern nations
more especially there is a superstitious feel
ing attached to it, which often drives the vic
tim on to fulfil his own doom But whatever
influence his mother 8 words may subsequent
ly have exercised ON his fate, Francisco re-
mained quietly at home until he had attained
the age of fifteen, when he was sent to Bilbao,
to learn the handicraft Of a carpenter This
town is not very far removed from Santander
and has always enjoyed high reputation for
the excellence of its sword and steel manufac-
ture
As might have been anticipated, the young
apprentice showed no greater love of work az
Bilbao than he had previously displayed un-
der the maternal roof. He was constantly
wasting his time in the river, neglecting his
duties, and consequently causing great dissat-
iSfaction to his master. In this manner he
continued to live for a couple Of years, until
one afternoon he went out with some compan.
ions to bathe. 1t was on midsummer day,
A. d 1874, says the chroniclers, when this
event occurred After enjoying the luxury of
a somewhat prolonged bath, his companions
came on shore and dressed themselves, and
were rather surprised not to see Francisco
among their number.
They waited considerable time for their
missing comrade, and at le1gth returned to
the town, leaving his clothes on the bank
where he had deposited them The unusual
absence Of his apprentice now began to alarm
the honest mechanic, who caused inquiries to
be instituted regarding him; but all that could
be gathered was that he had been swimming
down the river at great distance of Bilbos,
and as nothing further was heard of the un.
fortunate youth, the natural inference was
that he had either become exhausted, OF had
been seized with cramp. and so had fallen
victim to his passion for the water.
The carpenter took the earliest opportunity
If infOI Iming poor Maria of the probable fate
of her son; and the good folks her neighbo
IL = L -.
cure had been fulfilled Maria de la Veya,
ia ber affiction. now denied that she had ever
made use of the dreadful words ascribed to
her, and some Of her friends cOrrObOrated the
statement Be this as il may, the honest wo-
man gradually recovered from the shock she
had sustained and convinced of Franciscos
cath, people ceased to talk about it, and ali
recollection Of the wayward boy was rapidly
fading away.
Five years had elapsed, when singular oc-
currence happened on the opposite cost Of
Spain One morning, in the year 1879, some
fishermen from Cadiz were pursuing their
usual avocatiOns, and had already cast their
nets, when they perceived a strange object in
the distance The figure moved, appeared en-
the surface. then dived under water, where il
remained for considerable period In sp-
pearance it strongly reSembled a human be
ing; and the bOatmen pulled further out to
their new acquaintance, and, if POSSIBLE, to
catch him but as he did not appear again,
! they returned to shore at their usual hour
Having mentioned their adventure over night,
they were accompanied next morning by sew
eral of their acquaintances, all anxious to
have a look at this strange being In this
they wore not disappointed, for it soon showed
| itsetf in the water-nOw approaching, now re-
treatng-then plunging underneath, then re-
| appearing; and after going through a variety
of these gambols, as if in pastime, it finally
! vanished from view. When the fishermen
again returned with this news, the public Gu
riOsity was raised TO its highest pitch, and all
sorts of means were devised in order to catch
the monster. At length it was unanimously
| agreed that larger and stouter nets should be
taken out, and that other boats, stealing
across the bay from the opposite side, should
endeavor to drive the animal into them AL.
ready the water ghost, as it was called, formed
the main subject of conversation in the sur
rounding country, and the authorities wsr
natuGlly anxious to solve, if possible, tn,
mystery On the third day 1t made its up
pearance again, and remained longer thai