Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-01-16

ease and CELEBRITY comparable to the many-cared
caique that glides ever the tranquil waters Of
the Bosphorus; they TaHh.e at will over
the sandy rosdways ln;ersecting toe subnsrDe
parks, end, converting arms into legs, march on
like a huge spider. Gymnasts of the highest
order, they climb the slippery edges, files
walk up window pane; attaching the count
less suckers that arm the terrible limbs TO the
face Of the rocks, or to the wrack and seaweed,
they go about, back downward, ike inarine
sloths, or, clinging with one 10 the waving
aiga, perform series of trapezs movements that
Lso;ard might view with envy.
s. | have often, when on the rocks. in 4 dui-
maut hal bor, watched my frenG's proceedings;
the water being clear and still, l. just Ike
peering into En squarium OF huge proportions,
crowded with endless varieties Of curious sea-
monsters; although grotesque ana usy u Loo,
at, yet all alike di.pla. log tae wondroa> works
OF Creative wisdom In ell the COSY ..tlie
hooks and corners o: the hsrbor the ereat sea-
wrack (Macrocystis) grows widely, having a
straiSht round stem that comes - frotI the
bottom, often with stalk three hundred fees
long; reaohin- the surface. II spreads ca. Two
long tapering llsves that float ~ the water,
this sea-foresl is the fayorite hunting ground OF
octoui.
II 90 no. think in IL native element an cc;c-
pas catches prey on the ground or o. tbs roca 4,
5ui waits for them iuss the spider Goes, only
the octopus converts Itself into : veo, aud :
fearful web 100. Fastening one arm 20 s.out
Staih, suffering out the other seven, one wcu.d
hardly know 1t from the wrscx amongst which
i j. concealed. Patiently ne bdes his time,
Until presentaiy shoai of tiSii rome Gs.lg OF,
;reaCi1g their way through the ssa-treas ioy-
| ously happy, aad little dreaming that this lQYk-
ing monster, artiu!iy concealed, IS close at
n and syv, .n-a. of -
| arms; iata touch rs thcueh &c yersol
| electric snocA osd passed through ths tsa and
knocked /: senseess, so does tie ar1 cF the
octopus parals2s its victim then Winding 6
great suckeI-Ciad cable round the isslsiet fish
IS an elephant winds its trunk rouad anything
70 De conveved 10 the meuth-drayse The dainty
morse! % iue centre Of thc Gisk where tie
heaAed naouth seizes, ana soon suc.,s /. -
~ 4 sort Of poetic2l justice. these tyraats' s'of
tie se&-e4Verns ace themselves hcn.ec bv az
enemy Of uatiFinS pertin&c:tv. 'Ge Iad.sn
regards the octopus as greet delcscg, espe-
c!a.,y when lis huge gilttinous bo1y .s o1ra-
.l4iy rossted. Were ths octo 5sus orce ta Get
is .ong tho2g-lihe feelers over Tue size + lie
canoe, end 1t ,he same tia1e retain held upoa
he sea-wraek, IL could as easily sui / ever g
cl;ld could basket. ihis t.- crafty Indian
vel knows. row lie captures him IL. Lcr5
thus describes:
'P&cGinS the csnoe Close TO tbs roc.,s. Gnt
qule>ly pushing -zlae ;ne Wa, t5s sarge
pssls through tie crystal water Ul:I. lis prac-
used eye detects sn octopus, ~ish Is gTe2,
ropo.;ke arms s.!fened ou., oai-ilS pa-ie8t.g
for Ieod. t1ls spear IS tws.ve t-et loUg, -rmeI
at tne end With tour pieces OF hard wcod, made
nlrder Oy being baked and cLarred IN the ire +;
these prclzci ABOUT fourteen inches b=yord tie
spea7-hat, elch'pisoe having bar5 On one s.L5,
and are arranged in circle rouId the spear
end, aud i-shed firmly on by cedar bark. Hav-
ins spied out 81 octopus, The hunter passes he
spear carefully through the water un,i. Wiz il
al inca or 50 OF the centre disk. ard then SENDS
with pain and passion, the ee,opus coils its tec-
Ii0e arms round the haf; re3skR making ne
side OF the canoe fulcFum TOR his spear. Keeps
the strIe Cling monster we'll off, and r4,ses i
70 tie surface OF the water. lie 5 dangerous
age or canoe, nothing short CT choDpinS off the
arms piecsmesi would be of any avail
But the WHY redskin knows al iRis. and
has taken care 10 have rsaay an0tlsr spea. IN
bs.rOed, long, straight, smooth and very s3a5p,
and win taIs he s:sbs the octopus where tLe
arms Din the ce.trlI disk suppose the
spear must break down the nervous gangiions
supplying motIve power, Is &c stabbed arms
lose a. oGce -trength an4 tenaci,y tQe suckers
taaI moment before held on win : force ten
men could not have overcome. relax. and the
entire ray hangs ike dead snake, imp, llfe-
less mass. Aud thus toe Indian s-abs and
staos, uatii the octopus, deprived Of all power
10 DO harm, Is dragged into the canoe, great,
lner', quiverlng lump OF rown-lookng Jelly"