The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-08-10
What a Devil Fish Did.

ABOUT y % tiotk ffltGtN evening the ltl-
tlr yacht Narita, containing i party OF
gentlemen WHO had sought the upper bay
IN order To inAulgr in THEM piscatoria
propcnsitics. Ily at anchor near the mouth
| Of 'Possum Pass, which runs through tlt
! range of low she'll islcts to the west o
| Smiths Point, known Us ''Reedish Reef
The disciples Of lzaak Walton had cas-
their lines into lhc water and We're buSily
engaged in hooking and hauling aboard
| some ol the fine reddish which abound in
tiitt locality. After thus being pleasantly
, engaged lur Il few moments, one Of tn,
party happened 10 east his eve toward the
uarih entrance OF the pass. and immedi-
tNly deserted 4 terrible commotion in
the water. All hands now abandoned
their lines and @azed upon the scene The
water appeared to be agitated by 4 school
ot large fish, which were making then
way through the pass in the direction o.
thr yacht Nearer and nearer came the
fish, an, they presented the appearance OF
i school ot small whales, with the eNcep-
tion ot thc blowing BY the time
| thry approached within a hundred wards
Of the boat, the sailing master horritied
the party by eXclaiming "A school Of
The warning came too late, for rs soon
Is Il was uttered the boat was jerkcd vio-
lcntIy around and was speeding rapidly
In the direction Of Bolivar Roads The
whole party OF pleasure seekers were
badly scared, with the exception Of the
sailing master, who had been Florida
wrecker, and quietly informed them that
u devil fish had become entanglcd in the
cable OF the boat and was running away
with it, but there was nothing to fear cX-
ccpt the probability Of being carried to sea-,
for the fish might ut amy moment become
Ii1rntangled, and thus relieve them of
their inv oluntiry cruise
The boat. however, continued To speed
on. and inst ~ the sun sank behind the
mesquite bushes which craze the embryo
city Of CoWdlpryille, began 10 90 through
Bolivar Roads III \ rapid rate. The party
were now thoroughly alarmed, and rs the
night came stealing on began to fear
they were destined for midnight cruise
on the bosom of the ''murmm inc MeNj1
sea - their fears were pleasantly dissipat
cd when they arrived opposite the 'tripod'
on the outer bar, when their tishy steed
gave sudden plunge sideways and freed
himself from the cable The crew gave
three hearty cheers and i tiger" rs soon
Is they perceived his devilship had left
them, and making sail, ''stood in'' for the
city.
This is the first instance within our
knowledge Of the appearance Of ''dcvIl
fish, in onr bay, although they are quite
common on the coast OF Georgia and
Florida. They are q sngularly shaped
fish, being broader than long, with an i'm
mcnsc flat head, provided on each side
with u pointed wing, a large mouth but
small throat; the skin is rough and Shiny
and in some species resembles that OF a
Shark. The fish is quite harmless, al
though such hdeous sight as to inspire
one with disgust, and feeds upon the
smaller denizens Of the deep. The larg
est devil fish ever caught in the United
States was seventeen feet six inches long
eighteen feet in breadth, and weighed
five tons, requiring the services Of three
yoke of oxen to haul it ashore. The
breadth OF the head was five feet, and
that Of the mouth three feet The one
which is noted above as having ran away
with the boat is estimated by those on
board to have been twelve feet long.
Galveston Civilian.