Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-18
DEVIL FISH.
Capture Of One Of these Monsters at La
Paz, Mexico.

San Francisco Chronicle.l
Under date of December 9th an
officer of the United States war
steamer Pensacola writes from La
Paz, Mexico, as follows:
The most exciting event of our
cruise thus far was the capture to-day
Of an immense devil fish. Ever since
our arrival in these waters several
huge fish have been observed in the
vicinity of the ship, and much specu-
latiOn has arisen as to what they were.
One making its appearance this after
noon, our gunner, George 4. Cnsh-
man, decided to establish his indentity
if possible; and accompanied by AS
sistant Engineer Edwards, Midship.
men Mcdonald, Wood and Craven.
and Paymaster's Clerk Spaulding, gave
chase in the dingey. The 6sh, swim
ming slowly and near the surface of
the water, which is very clear here,
looked like a great shapeless brown.
mass, frequently throwing above the
waves the thin, white tips of its sides
like the dorsal fin Of a shark. 1t al
lowed the boat to approach within a
few yards Of it without showing symp-
toms of alarm, when it suddenly
sounded. The harpOon thrown by Mr..
Cuhman struck, but not with sufi-
force to hold, for the FISH freed
itself and disappeared, after dragging
the boat with great velocity for several
seconds. Another was seen, however,
after a short search, and was ap-
preached more successfully. AS it
showed an indifference to our pres
ence equally great to that of its com
panion, we pulled the boat directly
over and no more than a foot or two
above it, and Mr.. Cusbmd1, standing
in the bow, plunged the harpoon firmly
into its flesh. In an instant that
seemingly passive mass was trans
formed into
AN INPURIATED MONSTER,
which first threw itself bodily out of
the water and then, settling down to
business, sent the harpOon-li line whiz-
zing out at a rate that would have
made it decidedly uncomfortable for
us had the line become foul. The
strain soon came upon the dingey and
we were whisked along with the speed
of an express train we felt as though
we had applied the match to some
mine, or that we had been taken in
tow by the gentleman in black himself.
IL was a ride that, for novelty and
speed, could rarely be equaled.
Imagine our situation, in a light boat,
with such a monster attached to it,
when, as it rushed along, now on the
surface, and again diving deep, threat
ening to upset us among the sharks,
and you can realize the intense ex-
citement of the moment. The only
available thing in the boat, a bucket,
had been made fast to the harpoon
line to offer some additional resistance.
but the fish seemed to regard it no
more than a feather, and with the
bucket out Of sight under the water,
{ continued to draw us up and down the
bay at full speed. During all this
: time its efforts had been confined to
t an attempt to escape, but as its load
| grew heavy it became belligerent and
several times turned upon the boat,
. exhibiting the full capacity of a mouth
some two feet in diameter, and lash
ing the boat with its sides. We made
up u minds that if the fish decided
to jump into the dingey we would
! quietly slip out over one side as he
appeared at the other. But a yigor-
Gus
5 RESISTANCE PROM BoAT-H0oKs
r and oars induced him to resume his
fight in each instance. By this time
| all hands on the ship we're watching
; the struggle, and the whale-boat was
5 sent to II assistance, but for fully an
hour both boats, dashed together, were
towed with no signs of exhaustion
} from the fish, the thrusts of boarding
pixies seeming only to accelerate its
5 speed. Finally its immense exertions
? told upon him, and it came to the sur
? face directly between the two boats,
where it was placed hors de combat
by blows from an ak, and, dyeing the
2 water crimson with blood, was towed
! ashore and dragged upon the beach.
1t required the exertions of nearly
t forty men to accomplish this under
taking. A more formidable-lookinp
{ monster than this devil-fsh could
5 hardly be imagined. 1t was shaped
somewhat like an immense bat, meas
t uring 10! feet in width by II feet in
Y length it was % inches thick and
weighed probably 2000 pounds. Ii
. had but one fin, unless the wing.
b shaped extremities by which it pro.
n PEELED itself can be considered such
3 or that at the base Of
: LONG, THIN TAIL,
similar in appearance to a riding
whip, and which is preserved as {
momento of the adventure. Its eve
are placed in flexible projection.
which seem to have been used to grasI
i and convey food TO its mouth. Tn,
mouth, large enough to engulf a MAJ
d whole, was destitute Of teeth, but fur
d nishcd with solid bones, that in tn.
dying agonies of the fish ground larg.
IS pieces of coral as a stone-crushe
would stone. The skin of the Aesl
n was rough as a coarse file, and Of
dark gayish hue on the back Wit
a white patches toward the head, an
d pure white on the underside. Seyera
n Mexicans present viewed the captur
h with great satisfaction, as they afirr
% this creature Is one of the most droade
enemies Of the pearl diver. The cap
ture of a deyil-ish seems to be a
> event of rare occurrence. One wa
h caught by the officers of the Nara
gansett several years ago in this yer
n harbor, but with that exception non
d Of the old salts on board have eve