National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-04-28
The Cutie Fish.

Many stories have been told Of the
Cutie Ash, or tho Krakon ar the Danes
call il, but the following evidence OF a
sailor is somewhat strong. Captain John
Magnus Dcns, Danish sailor OF high
character and established uprightness,
deposed that, after having made several
voyages TO China in the service of the
Gottenburg Company, he had once found
himself bccalmed in the fifteenth degree
Of south latitude, at some distance from
the coast of Africa, abreast OF st. Helena
and Cape Nigra Taking advantage of
his forced inactivity, he had determined to
have his ship cleaned and scrubbed thor
oughly, and for that purposea few planks
were suspended on the side OF the 'esscl,
on which the sailors could stal 4 while
scrapipg and calking the ship. They
were busy with their work, when sud-
denly an anchortroll-so the Danes call
the animal-rose from the sea, threw one
oi its arms round two of the men, tore
them with n jerk from the scaflolding,
and sank out Of sight in moment.
Another fecler appeared, however, and
tried to grasp n sailor who was in the act
of ascending the mast fortunately the
man could hold on to the rigging, and as
the long fceler became entangled in the
ropes, he was enabled TO escape, though
not without uttering most fearful cries.
These brought the whole crew to his as
sistance they quickly snatchcd up har-
poons, cutlnsses, and whatever they could
lay hands on, and threw them at the
body of the animal, while others set to
work cutting the gigantic feeler to pieces
and carrying the poor man to his berth,
who had swooned from fright. The
monster, with five harpoons thrust deep
into its quivering flesh, and holding the
two men still i'll its huge arms, endeavor-
ed to sink but the crew, encouraged by
their captain, did their utmost to hold
on TO the lines to which the harpoons
were fastened. Their strength was, how
ever, not sufficient TO struggle with the
marine gio t, and all they could do was
to make last the lines to the ship, and
to wait Ii 1 the forces of the enemy should
be exhaL sted. -Four of the ropes snapped
one after the other, like mere .... Ids,
and the harpoon Of the fifth tore out of
the body of the monster with such vio-
lence that the ship was shaken from end
to end thus the animal escaped |, with
its two victims. The whole crew re-
manned overcome with amazement they
had heard of these monsters, but never
believed i'll their existence F.; and here,
before their eyes, two of their comrades
had been torn from their side, and the
third, overcome with fright, died the
same night in delirium. The fceler
which had been separated from the body
on board as an evidence that
the whole had not been frightful dream;
it measured at the base as many inches
as their mizZen-mast, was still twenty
five feet long, and at the pointed end
provided with number of suckers, each
as large MS spoon. Its full size must
have been far greater, however, as only
part of it had been cut off, the animal
never even raising its head above the
surface. The captain, who had witnessed
the whole scene, and himself thrown one
OF the haipoons, ever afterward consider
ed this encounter the most remarkable
event of his checkered life, and calmly
asserted the existence of the kraken.