The Ottawa free trader., 1875-12-11
FIGHTING EELS.
Dangerous Fishing in FIjt--An Awkward
Fish 10 Handle.
From tie London Times

From tie London Times
We sometimes fish for kind OF sea
Dream with hand-line at night, and my
servant tried one evening IL dump of dough
for wqat Of bette. ba!t. He felt something
nibbe, nibbe at ms line, and at last steady
haul haul so, returning the compliment, he
hauled too, and presently landed a strange
fish, like gigantic English Dream in shape
1t was cooked and pronounced A l by all
the household, and, encouraged by his sue.
cess, i. tried again next nj ght Another re-
warded him and he hsned on. Presently a
bite, and then dead pull. Having Il strong
line and wired hook, lac hauled away, and
dragged up an ugly brown eel. When he
attempted to seize it tn creature turned and
bit his across the knuckles, nearly clearing
two of the joints of skin and flesh. Fish
ing In Fiji has its dangers. After dressing
his wound, | sat up writing, the household
having retired to bed | was interrupted by
a young boatman rushing IN, "Oh, please,
sir, give me light. | have got a big eel like
that which bit Z. this evening He lies in
my boat biting furiously, and I can't get HIM
off the line. | have jumped overheard and
come for help" He was dripping. We lit
q lantern, and, taking the big Office ruler, ad-
jOurned to the battlefield. First Charley
drew IN the boat, at the bottom of which, by
the lantern dimly burning" | 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
Charlcy's naked feet. The young fellow
made a spring, nearly shot me out OF the
cranky little boat, and upset the lantern. AS
stopped to lift it the brute charged me. |
had quite enough to do to save myself, and,
as had dropped the ruler at the tirst surge,
had no weapon, The ruler kept rolling with
the rocking boat, sometimes just within
reach, but as tried to seize it away it would
roll! The eel was master of the situation
for the time; but at last Charley fetched him
a crack with the slrc,cher and, having man.
aged in lull ol The fight to.catch the errant
ruler, scconde! the blow with "s,unner."
The heavy ebony did its duty, and the shiny
brute lay quiet while Charley rained blows
on it, and finally severed his head from his
body with his clasp.knifc. | never saw a
more savage, fierce beast; he fairly sprang
at us, with his jaws wide open and his small
white eye cleaning ferociously. The way
the lad and danced in that rocking boat,
with the lantern, the ruler and the fish roll.
ing at the bottom, would take clevercr pens
than NINE to describe. Next evening, how.
ever u. met with more serious affair. lie
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 nay son
came rushing into the office. Help, for
Gods sake, helpv" he shouted "huge eel has
severed P.'s wrist, and he will bleed to
to death" | started up, and in the doorway
stood my servant, as pale as sheet, the
blood streaming from his wrist. Selzing the
ruler and some red tape, made tenn mporary
tourniquet, poured half tumbler of brandy
down his throat, and carried him off to q
chemist, who luckily lives close to me, and
is good surgeon, as all these men should be.
| Here we sewcd up two frighttul gashes that
had severed some small arteries, just missing
the main one of the pulse, and thus casing
the severe hcmorrhage. After the wound
was dressed and the bleeding stayed we
learned the following account of the
accident: r. had hooked and hauled UP
an eel, about four pounds weight. Remem.
beripg the fight of the previous night, he had
swung the brute round his mead, bringing
him down with ihump on the boards this
was the sound of blows heard The last
blow dislodged the hook, and then the crea-
ture sprang at him and seized him by the
wrist. How he got him off he cannot tell,
Tor the PAIN was extreme and he was covered
WIN blood IN a second; but he remembered
dashing IL down, and 1t slipped away between
~ 49, 80 va 'io PiauhlnS' III WAS very
narrow escape with life. There are several
kinds OF GELS here IN the rock and stones un.
der the pier, and two in fresh water These
fellows grow to a great size | have heard
one as thick as mans thigh. The sea eels
are sometimes very prettily moltled with
brown. Lately | was watching Il rush of
danifa from big fish. Ii was a low tide
and many Of the little fellows sprang on
shore; escaping from one foe, they became
the prey of another. AS they tumbled about
in the rocky little pools and between the in.
,erstices of the stones, half dozen notified
eels rushed at and seized thom; and here |
witnessed sight that never before suspect.
ed. | saw an eel construct fish rs n snake
does its prey, in lis convolutons, and faslen.
Ing ITS teeth in the fish's head, It drew II
through the folds of its coils and swallowed
lit