The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-08-06
A STRANGE STORY.
The Schooner Pearl and the Devil
Fish.
From the Homeward Mail. |

The following strange story has been
communicated to the Indian papers:
eve had left Colombo in the steam
er Strathowen, had rounded Gale, and
were well in the bay. with our course
laid for Madras, steaming over calm
and tranquil sea. About an hour be-
fore sunset on the 10th of May we saw
on our tarboard beam, and about two
miles off, a small schooner lying be-
Gained. There was nothing in her ap-
pearance or position to excite remark
but as we came up with her | lazily eX-
amined her with my binocular, and then
noticed between us, but nearer her, a
long, low. swelling object lying on the
sea, which from its color and shape
took to be bank of seawood. As |
watched, the mass, hitherto at rest on
the quiet sea, was set in motion. 1t
struck the schooner, which visibly reel
ed and then righted. Immediately af-
forwards the masts swayed sideways
and with my glass could clearly
discern the enormous mass and
the null of the schooner coalescing-I
can think ofno other term. Judging
from their EXPLANATIONS. the other gaz-
ers must have witnessed the same ap-
pearance. Almost Immediately after
the collision and coalescence the schoon-
err masts swayed towards us, lower
and lower the vessel was on her beam
ends, lay there few seconds, and dis
appeared. the masts righting as she
sank, and the main exhibiting revers-
ed ensign struggling towards its peak.
A cry of horror rose from the lockers
on, and as if by instinct, our ship s
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 float
ed bravelv on the smooth sea. As soon
as the poor fellows were able to tell
their story they astounded us with the
assertion that their vessel had been sub
merged by a gigantic cuttle-fish or CAL
January, the animal which. in smaller
form. attracts so much attention in the
Brighton aquarium as the octopus.
Each narrator had his version of the
story. but in the main all the narratives
Tailed so remarkably as to leave no
doubt of the fact. As soon as he was
at leisure, | prevailed on the skipper to
give me his written account of the dis
aster, and have now much pleasure in
sending You copy of his narrative:
Il was lately the skipper of the Pearl
Schooner, $50 tons. as tight little
craft as ever sailed the seas. with a
crew ofsix men. We were bound from
the Mauritus for Rangoon in ballast. to
return with Paddy. and had put in at
Gale for water. Three days out we
fell becalmed in the bay latitude deg.
so min. north. longitude "a deg. 5 min.
east. On the 10th of Nav. about 5
P. N.-eight bells l know had gone-we
sighted two-masted screw on our port
quarter. about five or six miles off.
Very soon after, as we lay motionless.
great mass rose slowly out of the sea
about half mile of on our larboard
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 brownish color: even at
that distance it seemed much longer
than our craft. and it seemed to be
basking in the sun.
whats that !" I sung out to the
mate.
''Blest if l knows; barring its size.
color and shape. it mis- ht be whale. .
replied Tom Scott. ct amt the sea
sarpent," said one of the crew, ''for he's
too round for that ere crittur,''