River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-12-09
FIJI EELs.
EFrom the Field.l

We sometimes FISH for a kind of sea
Dream with hand.line, at night, and
my servant tried, one evening, a lump Of
dough Tor want of better bait. He felt
something nibblc, nibble at his line, and
at last a steady haul; so returning the
! compliment, he hauled too, and presently
landed a strange fish, like a gigantic Eng.
hsh Dream in shape. IL 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 flshed on. Presently bite.
and then dead pull. Having strong
line and wired hook, he hauled away and
dragged up an ugly brown eel. When he
attempted to seize it, the creature turn.
ed and bit him across the knuckles, near.
y clearing two of the joints of skin and
flesh. Fishing in FIJI has its dangers.
After dressing his wound, | sat up
writing, the household having retired to
bed. was interrupted by young boat.
man rushing in: "0h, please, sir. rive
me light. Ihaye got big eel like that
which bit P. this evening. lie lies in my
boat, biting furiousiy, and ! can't get
him off the line. IA have jumped over.
board and come for help" lie was drip.
ping. We lit 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 burning" could see the enemy
cruising about. He dropped 10, 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. | had quite
enough to do to save myself and, as lhad
dropped the ruler at the first surge,
had TO weapon The ruler kept rolling
about with the rocking boat, sometimes
just within reach. but as | 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 a crack with
the stretcher, and, having managed in
lnll of the fight to catch the Grant ruler;
| seconded the blow with ''stunner."
The heavy ebondy did its 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.knife.
| never saw more savage. fierce beast :;
he fairly sprang at us, with his jaws wide
open, and his small white eyes cleaning
ierociously. The way the lad and
danced in that rocking boat, with the
lantern, the ruler, and the fish rolling at
the bottom, would take cleverer pens
than mine to describe. Next evening,
however, p. met with more serious az
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, aud my son came
rushing into the office. "Ilelp, for God S
sake, helpp he shouted; "a huge eel
has severed P.'s wrist, and he will bleed
to DEATH" ] started up, and in the door
way stood my servant, as pale as a sheet,
the blood streaming from his wrist.
Selling the ruler and some red tape,
made a temporary tourniquet, poured
half tumbler of brandy down his throat
and carried him off to chemist, who
luckily lives close to me, and Is a good
surgeon, as all these men should be.
|. Here we sewed up two frightful gashes
f that had severed some small arteries, just
missing the main one of the pulse, and
thus causing the severe hemorrhage.
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 pounds
weight. Remembering the fight of the
previous night, he had swung the brute
around his head, bringing him down
with thump on the boards; this was
the sound Of blows | heard. The last
blow dislodged the hook, and then the
creature. sprang at him and seized him
by the wrist. How he got him off he
cannot tell, Cor the pain was extreme and
he was covered with blood in second I;
but he remembered dashing it down, and
it slipped away between the nterstices
Of the planking. Ii was a very narrow
escape with his life. There are several
kinds Of cells here in the rocks and stones
under the pier, and two in the fresh
water. These fellows grow to great
size. | have heard OF one as thick as a
mans thigh. The sea cells are sometimes
very prettily notified with brown. Late.
IL | was watching rush of danifa from
a big fish. IL was lowtide. and many Of
the little fellows sprang on the shore (; es.
Gaping from one foe, and became the prey
Of another. As they tumbled about in
the rocky little pools and between the in
terstices OF the stones, half a dozen of
the notified cells rushed at and seized
them; and here | witnessed what never
before suspected. saw an eel construct
a fish as snake does its prey, in its con.
volutions, and, fastening its teeth in the
fish's head, it drew it through the folds
Of its coils and swallowed it.