The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-10-28

THE soAaooooxiEanI 81 iaI pEAaT AND TIE
DEVIL F1aH.-The following strange
story has been communicated 70 the
Indian papers,:
We had left Colombo in the stea mer
Strathowen, had rounded Galie, and
were well in the bay, with our course
laid for Madras. steaming over calm
and tranquil sea. About an tor- be-.
fore sunset on the 10th OF May we saw
on our starboard beam and about two
miles OF small schooner lying be.
Gained. There was nothing in her ap.
pearance or position to excite remark,
but, as we came up with her, I lpzily
examined her with my binocular, and
then noticed between Us, but some
what nearer her, a loug, low swelling
| lying on the sea, which, from it's color
and shape, took to be bank of sea.
weed. As watched the mass, hitherto
at rest on the quiet sea, was set in mo.
ton. 1t struck the schooner, which
visibly reeled. and then righted. In.
mediately afterwards tho masts swayed
sideways, and with my glass I could
clearly discern the enormous mass and
the hull OF the schooner coalescing-I
can think OF no other term. judging
from their exclamatione. the other
gazers must have witnessed the same
appearance. Almost imm ediately after
the collision and coalescenoe the
schooner's masts swayed towards us,
lower and lower; the vessel was on her
beam ends, lay there few seconds,
and disappeared, the masts righting as
she sank, and the main exhibiting
reversed ensign struggling towards its
peak. n cry OF horror rose from the
iookers-ou. and, as if by instinct, our
ships head was at once turned towards
the scene, which was now marked by
the forms of those battling for life
the sole survivors of the pretty little
schooner which only twenty minutes
before foated bravely on the smooth
sen. As soon as the poor fellows were
able to tell their story they astonnded
US with the assertion that their vessel
had been submerged by gigantic
cutie fish or calamarv, the animal
which, in u smaller form, attracts 60
much attention in the Brighton aqua.
rum as the octopus. Each narrator
had his version of the story, but in the
main all narratives Tailed SO rcmarka
bly, as to leave no doubt of the fact.
AS soon ns he was at leisure, pre-
vailed on the skipper to give me his
have now mucl, pleasure in sending
you copy Of his narrative.
was l4teiy the skipper OF the Pearl
schooner, IoU tons. ns tight little
craft as ever sailed the seas, with
crew OF six men. We were bound
from the Mauritius for R,ngoon in
ballast. to return with paddy. and had
put in at Gale for water. Three days
out we fell becalmed in the bay (at.
s so NJ, long. 81 5 Ed On the 10th
OF May, about 5 P. M.-eight bells I
know had gonc-we sighted two
masted screw on our port quarter,
about five or six miles off, on our lar
board side, and remained spread out,
as it were, and stationary; it looked
like the back of huge whale, but it
sloped less, and was of O brownish
color; even at that distance it seemed
much longer than our craft, and it
seemed to be basking in the sun.
Whats thGt?" I sung ont to the
mate. 'Blest if I knows: barring it's
size and shape it might be whale"
replied Tom Scott. 'It amt the sea
sarpent," said one of the Grew, "for
he'stoo round for that ere crittur."
l went into the cabin for my rifle,
and, as was preparing to Dire, Hill
Darling. a Newfoundlander, came on
deck, and, looking at the monster, ex-
claimed, putting up his hand, "Haye
a care, master; that ere is squid, and
will capsize us if you hurt him."
Smiling at the idea, T let fly and hit
him, and with that he shook: there
was great ripple all round him, and
he began to move.
"Oat with all your axes and knives. +"
shouted Bill, ''and cut at any part of
him that comes aboard; look alive, and
the Lord help u:l''
Not aware OF the danger, and never
having seen or heard of such mon.
ster, gave no orders, and it was no
use touching the helm or ropes to get
out OF the way. BY this time, three of
the crew, Billincluded. had found axee.
and ono rusty cutass, and all were
looking over the ships sides at the ad.
vancing monster. We could now see q
huge oblong mass moving, by jerks,
Just under the surface of the water. |
and an enormous train following; the
oblong body was at least half the size
Of our vessel in length, and just as
thick; the wake, or train, might have
been 100 feet long. In the time that I