The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-06-16

natives do not venture, when in the water,
near rocks or cliffs and every negro will
tell you stories of unfortunate swimmers
taken down by the Sudden attack Of the rock
squid. In the Mediterranean they are no
longer so frequently found as in former
times; but there is a well authenticated
story of the loss of ship captain on the
Italian coast, which proves that even within
the present century this disgusting ami NAL
has been found dangerous to swimmers.
The unfortunate Captain was going to
swim, in company with friends; but had not
yet got out Of his depth, when sudden cries
called his friends from a distance. Ere they
could reach him he had disappeared. His
bcdy was not recovered till three hours after
ward, when it was hooked up, closely envel-
oped in the arms of cutie fish, who had
already deyoursd part Of tie urfortu nate
mans flesh Those who saw his last strug
giles from little distance suppose, from his
peculiar motions, that his legs were first
seized by he arms of the cutie that he
then reached down with one hand to free
himself, which hand was also instantly seiz>
ed and putting down the other arm, that
also was dragged under. and thus the man
was held dowa and drowned i'll water which
not four fee: deep.
THR KRAEEy.
$50 much for an animal which is common
enough; but we come now to treat of Z
larger variety, as of a supposed monster.
To present to the Ircredulous reader the kra-
ken. or colossal cuttlefsh, without first
showing him the manners aud habits of the
commoner variety, would have been impru>
dent: and ! am too good q lawyer to be thus
imprudent.
{ - Our sperm whalemen have long known
of the existence OF species OF cutile-iish
which attaIns monstrOuS size. | have nv
self seen and handled what was plainly
piece Of the arm OF such an animal, Il was
found floating in the sea, between Madaga;-
car and the Isle Of France and measured
two feet IN diameter. 1t was n mere frag>
ment, perhaps six feet long bat the suckers
upon it were the size Of dessert plates.
- 1t often happens that the sperm whale,
WHEN in his death agony, became sick at
the stomach. In such cases he vom's forth
masses Of squiI, and often individual pieces
which are nearly as large as the body of
fall grown man. 1t mus; be borne in mind
that the throat Of the sperm whale Is large
enough 10 take "a such masses y.tnOu: d!ii~
Guilty. 1t IS the right whale which has
narrow swollOw.
Before a committee Of the British House
Of Commons, Captain Coffin, Of Nantucket,
answered some que stions pu, TO him 10 Ella
ci1ate the mystery of the formation Of Am
Jergris. He stated incidentally that he had
once killed a sperm whals in whose mouth
he found what a first appeared to be an i'm
mense serpent. Oa drawing /; out, however,
VIXEN they goI tie fish alongside. they found
i: something still more woulsgtu. namely
2 portion of the arm Of cutie tsh. Il
measured a little over twan'yeght feet. and
the suckers on il were as large as dinner
plates. Ine end which nsd been swallowed
Was a..esly decaysl, AMI the outer ea!.
where i ba! bseg torn or bitten Off did rot
appear to have reached Gloss TO the body, as
the plates or suckers r., -lsi u It's eXirei initv,
and It is kuo@l that il the common cgtt,e
ii;h The portion OF the arms nearest the BODY
are i void ct ihese arpenda-es, which would
be o4ly in the way there.
Now, giren eight arms, e7ch tw.aty>
eight or thirty feet long, with = body in pro-
portion. and yog hare ~ once = mon:ter tc~
fore which the sea serPsn. mast hide rs d.
miuisied size IN envy.
OBSERVATIONS ~ NAvIGA.ors
"Towari ths cfoss .. tlo last century the
Free C 4 Government. anxious to give an I'M
petu. ( the French whale fishery, induced
number OF Nantucket families 10 remove to
France, where they we're promised unlsua.
privileges. in order tha: the men might bring
their abilities, as daring and sAiiiiul whale
men, to the assistance Of th: French fisher
ie.. M0nttJrt. whom | have SO often quoted
q ready. relates that q captain, whom he calls.
in his French WAY, Ben Johnson, "A man Of
mark and probity among those People--to.d
him that he once took out OF sperm whale ;
mouth a cutie fish arm, which measured
th:r,v-Gve feet in length, and was as thick IN
the thCSsst part a the u,:.In:Ts-t OF sjyes>
SCI IL. stated further that the extremity
vs. already disii Cured, but as it was tIcn.iln
the smallest part, still GveInc1es IN diameter,
II must b. supposed that furtler portion,
Of at iesst seven Ice: in Length was missing.
Moutf0rt remarks that, II rc reckon tast
missing length few feet. and a.sb the
bread dth of the hood, which in such al ani-
MAJ cannot Re supposed less than twenty feet,
and within which the whale could not easily
penetrate to take his bite. we have u arm
whose extreme length was probably sixty feet.
~ Captain l;-vnO!ds related 81 hilar
circumstance 10 MOntiort. IL, hos;e the
inm-use arm on deck, when ho got his 'fAale
alongside, hoping. waacmel like, I'd get
some oil oIt o. II. GA cutting 1t 10 pieces.
however, he found it to consist Of a mass O..
grIstly and leathery sIbstaEce. which gave,
10 his disgust, not a drop Of oil. He threw
1t OTerboart ter measuring 1t At It's base
it had diameter OF two aat a half feet, and
the extreme length was tortv>iive feet. 4
curious circuustance was added. The huge
/ limb seemed freshly bitten oil; and 1t occurs
red 10 some OF the seamen to cook piece of
!. for their dinner. 1t was beaten into pul py
! state washed IN salt water, and then cooked !:
ana made 81 tootbsomc morsel that they
: ate Of it 50 loag as the fragment lasted them
/ - Norwegian captain, named Anderson,
/ reported to Noatfort that he had seen two
! such arms, which were washed up after Il
/ storm into the c,cits of some rocks on the
coast of Norway, where they lay and ro;ieI
! They were ten PAGES IN length, and we're
visited by many people.
! 1t is well known that the sperm whale
! feeds almost entirely upon the squid or cuts
! tie fish. Wtalemen do not take pains 10
examine the stomachs OF the whales they
/ kill; and we know the fact only because
sperm whales, in their death agony, often
| throw up the contents Of their stomach, az
we have already shown, aud because few
men of science have had opportunities to
| investigate the bodies of this species of whale
" Old whalemen, who are familiar with the
! sperm whales habits, suppose that his lon
! slender lower jaw, which alone has teeth,
serves him as a kind Of sword in his battle,
with the gigantic cuttle-fsh. This animal
lives at the bottom Of the sea ; and it is sup
! posed that the whale, when he attacks It. runs
this pointed jaw INTO its body, and drawing il
/ quickly back, thus drags it out from its rocky
tastness; the teeth, which are hooked back
serving IN this manGurrc as hooks. 1t is q
fact that in attacking boats; the whale uses
the jaw in precisely this way and s able to
thru,t and slash with it with "a d4xtcrity
which is very wonderful indeed. How strange
would be sight of one OF these submarine
battles-the whale urging his hugh btny jaw