The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1868-03-06
\ RsaI "DcviI Fish victor
nMgO's NnrrmIiVc NIntChcd.

ualtS encounter with tho octopus. or sea-
devil, who winds his horrible suckers
round his victim and gradually draws away
his hie's blood. The poet tuovclst has been
accused OF eXaggeratinu in this incidcut.
but according To Mr. Lord au English tray.
eler. who has Just published Ia london, u
book about British Columbia aud the Pa.
c'lic coost, the scO'devils OF tho North Pa.
c,hc even outdO the tertors ct the Channel
Island species. Mr. Lord says;
rhe octupus as seen on our coasts, al.
though even here called \ "mansucker
Ivy the fist crmen, is u mere Tom Thumb, a
tiny dwarf as compared to the Brobdigna.
gin proportions he atinins in the snug BAYS
aud long inland canals along the cas, side
OF NancouVe;'s Island, as well as the main.
land These places afford lurking dcus.
strongholds, and natural seanursrri,s, =,
where the octupus grows to an enormous
size, iattCus, aud wages war with iusatia.
hlc voracity on all aud every thing it eau
catch. safe lrnm heavy breakers 1t lives
as in an acguarium of smooth hko.ltke
water that, save in the ehhiug aud flowing
OF tho tide, knows no change or disturb.
auce.
"The ordinary resting.place of this hid.
eOus sea beast is under "A large stone or
in wide Clrtt OF rock, where an octopus
can creep and squeeze itself with the fiat
ness OF sand dab or the slppcriucss OF an
etl. LIS modes of lucumotion are curious
aud varied using The eight arms az pad.
dies and working them alternately, the cen.
trail disk representing Il boat, octop row
themselves along with an oaNo aud celebrity
compatible TO the many oarcd caiquo that
! g'ides over the Tranquil waters Of the BDs.
| phorvs they can ramhln at will over the
sandy ruadways iutcrSCctiug their Suhma
rinc parks, and, converting arms into legs.
march on Ike huge spiders Gymuasts of
the highest order, they climb the slippery
ledges aa Ties walk up window pane at
taching the countless suckers that arm the
! terrible limbs to the face of the rocks, or
to the wIack aud sca-weed they go about,
back downward, like marine sloths, or.
clingiug with one arm TO the waving alsac,
perform a series o! nopcse movements that
Leotdrd might view with envy.
" J have often, when Oh the rocks in Es
quimault harbor watched my friends pro.
ceedtngs; the water being clear aud still
1t is just like peering into an acquurum of
huge proportions, crowded with endless
varieties of curious sea monSterR; although
grotcsquo and ugly to look at, yet all alike
displaying the woudrous works of Crea.
tive wisdom. In all the cosy little hooks
and corners of the harbor the great sea
wrack (Macroystis) grows wildly having a
straight round stem that comes up from the
bottom. often with a stalk threo hundred
feet louE; reaching the surface, spreads ont
two long tapering leaves that float upon
the water; this aturcst is the iavulic
hunting ground of octopi
81 do not think in its native element an
octopus often catches prey on tho ground
or on the rocks, INT waits for them lust as
a spider does, only the octopus converts
itself uto web, aud fearful web too.
Fastening Ouc arm to stout stalk, stiticu.
ing Cut the other seven. one would hardly
know il from among the wracli amongst
which it is concealed, Patiently he bdes
his time, un,iT presently a shuaI of Gsh
comes gnily on, threading their ways
through the sea trees. ioyously happy. and
little dreaming that this lurking monster
so artluly concealed, is close at hand Two
or three Of them rub against the arms; the
fatal touch As though powerful cleo.
trio schock had PASSED through the fish
and suddenly knocked it scrSrless. so duea
the arm Of the octopus paralyza its victim
then winding a great sucker clad cable
round the palsicd ish--as an elephant
winds it's trunk round anything to bo con.
veyed to it's mOnth-traws tho dainty NOR.
sci 10 the centre of the disk, where the
the b"ake mouth seiZes and sucks in it,
BY sort of poetical justice, these ty-
rauls OF the sea Caverns are themselves
hunted by ar enemy Of untiring pertimac.
ity. The Indian regards tho octopus NJ n
great dellcacy, especially when It's hugo !
glntimnus body is carefully roasted. Were
the octopus once TO get its long thong like |
Ieelers over the side of the canoe, and at
the same lime retain a bold upon the sea.
wrack, it coul as easily haul it over as a /
child could a basket. This tho crafty In
dian well knows. How he captures him
Mr.. Lord thus describes;
" Padding the canoe close 20 the rocks, .
lnh quietly pushing aside the wrack, the /
savage peers through the crystal water, |!
luli his practised eve detects an octopus, |
with its great rope.lke arms stiffoncd ont. |
wailius patiently for food. His spear il |
welve feet long. armed at the end with /
our pieces of hard wood, made harder hv
icing balicn and charred in the fire these
project about fourteen inchea beyond the /
spear hait, each piece having barb on one
'Ide, and are arranged III IA circle round tho
pear end. and dashed firmly on with cedar
)ark. Having spied out the octopus the
lnNter passes the spear carefully through |
ne "atcr until within an iuCh or so Of the
'enter disk. and then sends il in as deep as
10 can plunge it. Writhing with pain and
lassiOn, the octopus coils its terrible arms
ound the haft; redskin making the canee
) fuIcrum for his spear, keeps The slrug-
ding monster well off, and raises it to the
urfaco OF the water. llo is dangerous now;
he cGuld get u holdrast on either savage
n canoe, nothing short of choppng off the
rms pieccmeal would be Of any avail.
But the willy red skin knows all this,
nd has taken care 10 hayo ready another
pear unbarbed, long, straight smooth aud
'ery sharp, and with this he stabs the oc.
opus where the arms join the central disk
suppose the spear must break down the
ervous gangious supplying motive power
s the stabbed arms lose at once strength
nd tenacily; the smokers that moment he.
1re held on with q force ten men could
OF have overcome, relax. and the entire
ay hangs like a dead snake, limp, life.
-ss mass. Aud thus the Indian stabs
tabs, until the octopus, aeprived of all
over 10 do harm is dragged into the ca
oee. great, inert, quiveriug lump OF brown
'oking jelly.
Miles O'ReiIIy on PendIetOn.