The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-08
FIJI EELS.
From the Field.]

from the Field.l
We sometimes fish for kind of sea
;bream' with hand-line, at night, and
my servant tried. one evening, lump of
d 'ugh for want of better bait. lie felt
something nibb:e, nibble at his line, and
at last a steady haul; so returning the
compliment, he hauled too, and presently
landed strange fish, like gigantic Eng
lish Dream in shape. It was cooked and
pronounced AL by all the household,
and, encoura led by his success, P. tried
again next night. Another rewarded
him, and he fshed on: Presently bite,
and then a5dead pull. Having.a strong
line and wired hook, he hauled away and
dragged up all ugly brown eel. When he
attempted to seize it, the creature turn
ed and bit him across the knuck|es, near
ly clearing two of the joints of skin and
flesh. Fishing in FIJI has its dangers.
After dressing his wound, l sat up
writing, the household having retired to
bed. was interrupted BY a young boat
man rushing in: "Oh, please, sir. give
me light. have got big eel like that
which bit P. this evening. lie lies in nv
boat, biting furiously, and [ can't get
him off the line. I have jumped over.
board and come for help" He was drip
ping. We lit a lantern, and taking the
big office ruler, adjourned to the battle.
field. First Charley drew in the boat, at
the bottom Of which, "by the lantern
dimly hurning,'' could see the enemy
cruising about. He dropped in, and ]
passed in the lantern and scrambled
down. AS soon as We approached.him he
made at Charley's naked feet. The
young fellow made spring, nearly shot
me out of the cranky little boat, and up-
set the lantern. As | stopped to lift it
the brute charged me. I had quite
enough to do to save myself and, as had
dropped the ruler at the first surge, !
had 70 weapon The ruler kept rolling
about'with the rocking boat, sometimes
just within reach, but as I tried to seize
it away it would roll The eel was mas
ter OF the situation for the time; but at
last Charley fetched him crack with
the strctchcr, and, having managed in a
lull of the fight to catch the Grant ruler;
| seconded the blow with a s'stunner.
The heavy ebondy did it's duty, and the
Shiny brute lay quiet while Charley rain.
ed blows on it and finally severed his
head from his body with his clasp.kn;fe.
| never saw more savage, fierce beast ;
nc fairly sprang at us, with his jaws wide
open, and his small white eyes cleaning
'erociously. The way the lad and
danced in that rocking boat, with the
lantern, the ruler, and the fish rolling a,
the bottom, would take cleverer pen
than mine to describe. Next evening.
however, P. met with more serious af.
fair. He and my son were out At the
end Of the pier trying for big cod
Presently [ heard four or five heavy
blows. then yell. and my son cam,
rushing into the Office. ''Help, for God
sake, hclp!' he shouted; "a huge eel
has Sc, cred P.'s wrist, and he will bleed
to DEATH | started up, and in the door
way stood my servant, as pale as sheet
the blood streaming from his wrist
Selling the ruler and some red tape,
made temporary tourniquet, poured
half tumbler of brandy down his ,hroa
and carried HIM off to a chemist, who
luckily lives close to me. and Is q good
| surgeon, as all these men should be-
| Here VIC sewed up two frightful gaShes
that had severed some small arteries, Jus,
missing the main one Of the pulse, and
thus causing the severe hrmorrhage
After the wound was dressed and the
bleeding stayed, we learned the following
| account Of the accident: P. had hooked
and hauled up An eel, about four pound,
weight. Remembering the fight of the
previous night, he had swung the brute
around his head, bringing HIN down
with thump on the boards; this was
the sound Of blows heard. The las,
blow dislodged the hook, and then the
creature sprang at him and seized him
BY the wrist. How he got him off hi
c.nnot tell, tor the pain was extreme an,
he was covered wit, blood in second
but he remembered dashing it down. and
slipped away between the interstice>
OF the planking. 1t was very narrow
escape with his life. there arc several
kinds Of cells here in the rocks anu stones
under the pier, and two in the fresh
water. These fellows grow to great
size. / have heard of one as thick as a
'nan's thigh. The sea cells are sometimes
very prettily mottled with brown. Late
y | Vas watching a rush Of da,,ifa from
big fish. 1t was low.tide. and many OF
the little fellows sprang on the shore es
Gaping from one foe, and became the prev
OF a1tother:~~-As- they tumb'ed about il,
the rocky little pools and between the in.
tcrsticeS Of the stones, half dozen OF
the mottled eels rushed at and seized
them and here witne sed what I never
before suspected. saw an eel CON strict
a fish as 4 snake does its prey, in it's con.
volutins, and, fastening its teeth in the
tishs head, it drew it through the folds
OF its coils and swallowed it.