The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-06-17

twenty years sand dtffies from 30 60 70 feet
|hiph have travelled nom a1Isif to three.qdar-
teEs Of a4nfla This known by sbe u rSs
left In former sufYRN8. QIsfaeocke inlet has
been realty altered BY thEss travelling sands.
v The Captain hasa numbered cgriodttsso Of
the crustaeea dredged up from great depths
He has been commander OF u coast survey
for several years. and was with A asstz,1 Id
one of his!yoyages I'D pursuit of hts studies
With the aid Of a dredge, prepared after hts
suggestions, specimens of the coral worm,
alive and actively st Wofk, were drawn nr
from depths Of ], 200 and / 800 fest. . IS,
Ny reader must distinguish the 'instru
Ement for ascertainfng what is on the bot
tom of Che sea from that for deep-sea sound
ing. The latter was go wonderfully Inn
proved by Captain Brooke, formerly one Of
the first men in the United States navy, now
[of til" Virginia Military Institute, that
soundings have been made with, 1t as deep as
between 5000 and 1000 fathems. This in
strument was supplied lat its bottom with
Itallow, t. which adhered sand or mud, but
could not bring up solid bodies larger thar
sands. The dredge employed for Mr
Agassiz brought up crustacea OF consider
able size. ...s ~, {. s3s.... So,
1lcEC B b Slll6ll tDub SCteCt,
here at Vue de Pau, and the social ANNA
ton is therefore, not excessive. We had ar
interesting scene here few days since
surf-bathing by the ladies. A fair one, as re
markable for her beauty and symmetry o.
form and features as she is for her bright.
ness and wit, was queen Of the pastime, anC
escorted the more timid ones. Her bravery
and agility In the water were remarkable
aud the way she whirled an elderly and con
sentative lady;aboutt was :irresistibly humor
GUS. The sport was excellent, and as an Ole
sea-dog said to me once when showed MIN
agrandsk In the west, cit would Lave beer
splendid in the Naiad Queen. p -,
We find much diversion here in seeing the
great seine brought to the shore with its
mixed multitude Of fishes, crabs, and stinga
rees. !; Once-it brought out the king crab, OF
sea. crab.i This animal is rooted over with
shell with color and surface like those OF q
brown spittoon, but shaped like horses
hoof, and about ten inches in diameter. Inc
animal occupied the place Of the frog in the
horses foot. He had two rows OF legs at
taehed to the body, with claws at their ends.
To This hcrse-hoof shaped shell was attached,
apparently with hinge, shell terminating
in tai! of bone with joint at its ROOT SO
that it moved UP and down and lateraly.
4 guest saved the shell as curiosity, when
it really is. The stingaree is also cur1ouslty;
but it is horrible-a very monster. Some
that were caught were two feet across the
back, and they grow much larger than that.
They have sting on the back Of their whip
like tail. This sting is Of bone, as hard as
ivory. and as sharp as lancet. 1t is handled
dexterorisly by the monster, and fishermen
keep at d prudent distance from it.:
And, now, / want to tell you a thing about
the sturgeon, which is new to me: People
who see that fish make its great leaps OUT OF
the water think he is very jolly and having q
high old time. It is a great mistake. He is
trying to disengage from his gills and body
the lamDreys and other eeis which eat into
his flesh. The sturgeon has no teeth ne has
a ftlnnel-shaped mouth beneath his head
and a nose forward of that, with which he
stirs I'D the mud and gets his food, which he
sucks in with bis mouth. So he has NO
means of defence when attacked, but must
6 run for it." His rows of plates are some
protection: but the tender flesh along his
belly is much coveted by such unscrupulous
and voracious wretehes as eels. The eel il
especially fond ofthe eggs ofthe sturgeon, and
will tunnel way by theanal orifce and enter
the body of the poor victim in pursuit of his
fayorite food, Could there be a more eX-
cruciating torture? TO he absolutely eaten
alive 1t is enough to raise crusade against
eels amongst all generous and humane peo-
pie, the more especially when we consider
what excellent food for man the surgeons
could give you most interesting chapter
OH the sturgeon; but iorbear, and L hear
the reader say "thank God :" / will say,
however, that the sturgeon is really the best
and most useful of all fish in the Richmond
market. and he is not appreciated because he
is for SO long season in such abundance.
Sturgeon is good any way; but for salad it
has no superior. In old times it was royal
dish, and was served with great pomp in an
Gent Greece and Rome. There are many
varieties Of sturgeon: one, that is found IN
the Caspian sea, known, as the sterlct, which
grows only to the length of two OF three
feet, is reported to be the most delicate and
palatable of all the. varieties. The United
States Fish Commissioner, MIR. Baird, is en-
deavoring to propagate it in this country. 1t
would flourish in James river.
This is a lazy, sleepy part of the world.
Good things here are too good and too easily
gotten at men live too easily, with their end
less supplies of fruit, vegetables, and fish. l
don't see. how Norfolk is to rise, SO kept
down. with content and stated appetites.
Fear that / may catch the disease hurries me
home. So adieu, rare ''Vue." &. d +. Z.
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