St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-12-13

toward ME, and presenting magniti-
cent unbroken surface of rich olive
brown hue.
81 must have walked one hundred
wards through this channel when sud-
denly noticed black object on the
bottom about twenty feet ahead. At
first l thought it was shark or turtle,
and, charging bayonets with my pike
or iron spear that carried, l moved
on and found that it was something
that had evidently fallen from above.
1t was completely overgrown with sea-
weed and covered with incrustating
corals, and it was nearly half an hour
before l had cleared away the sand.
during which time l had to go to
the surface. l took down
shovel, however, and soon found
that my find was cannon, and by its
shape, Offoreign make; and so it proved.
as few days later took out ropes and
derrick on scow and lifted it to the
surface. We found that it was an old
Spanish gun, and after the coral was
scraped of, the arms of Spain were
plainly seen. 1t had been captured
probably by pirates a long time ago,
and lost overheard in some way, or a
vessel had been sunk and entirely gone
to pieces.
IL was so impressed" continued the
speaker, with the wonders of this
world under the sea that began to de-
wise some method of reproducing it,
and made some attempts at photog-
raphy under water. My appliances
We're crude, and it can hardly be called
a success: but proved that it is possi-
BILE, and haven't the slightest doubt
but that in few years photographer
can 90 to the bottom and take mega
tives of wrecks to show the actual po-
sitions. etc. Not only this, but fishes
and all the marine animals can be re-
produced exactly. How can it be
I done? Well, that is my secret. but OF
course the electric lighG will be prom
inent feature of such an undertaking.
"One of the last trips that made on
the reef was to an old wreck that had
been lying there for perhaps fifty years.
| went down to it at night, and when
turned on the electric light found
myself in a curious place. The hull OF
the vessel was seemingly complete. but
not a single part of the surface but
what was pierced with holes made by
the ship worm (teredO). l attempted
to step on the wood, and though look
ing solid, my weighted foot sank into it
like paper. and with a slight push l
threw over a large portion of the old
hulk. The worms had eaten into the
wood and lined their holes with 3 limy
secretion, so that these tubes were all
there was to hold the structure together;
the wood had disappeared. In the
hold great masses of branch coral were
growing up out of pile that was once
the cargo"
s.How about the fish that crawls out
on dry land?" asked some one.
1.-The fish," continued the naturalist,
sis little fellow that looks very much
like what we call a sculpin. although
it has none of the barbels
and curious appendages that charac-
terize those fish. first noticed
them in the Spice Islands when
l was there in 1872. Twas walking
by the shore one day at low tide
where the beach was formed of dark
mud and weed-covered rocks, when my
companion said, pointing to some small
objects that were hopping along shore
near the water, Isn't il rather queer
for frogs to go with salt water?' Its
so queer that never heard of it be-
FORE / replied; perhaps it's some.
thing new. So we determined to find
out what they were. and, taking of our
shoes, we waded in and along the
beach so as to drise the supposed frogs
ashore. But all at once one started
right up under ny eyes and gave a hop
!, of about foot and to my astonish-
. ment it was fish; and so l announced
to nv friend who was behind. He
!, wouldn't believe me; out when he came
. up. there the little creature was. high
, and dry, resting on stone, with its
; head somewhat raised, on its promi-
, nent pectUa, fins. / made jump for
it and nv friend did the same, but
away it went, hopping just like toad,
and for several moments there was
: race between man and fish. We soon
!, hemmed 1 in, however, and L have i,
! in NV cabinet now. The side fins are
: almost ANS, and are strong and pow.
erful. and on them the fish rests and
. Jumps. In Australia, some years ago
: some biologists found some fossil bones
! that w.re pronounced to belong to s
til large ish. In 1876 some one discov.
It. ca he identical fish alive.
gd Tie way they did so is somewhat
ay curqs. They were on a hunting trip
p up he country, and one night
~ camp near a small stream. In the
ole mldoi the night one of the party
lid was "kened by curious barking
re- soano' thinking it might be some
1t wld an al after their horses. he
,ur slppea ol|s clothes, took a rifle and
ss- wen. en.raIs oI.- f3e noise came at regular
y aiy ,,tfrvs.s ,,sirs nab the river below; and
en- en- AiI The moo path. he started aftel
md he e 60. Ss.rd ad"i the e,e level of the water
Ca elistenins ei asa objee and saw large as,
hts along along ,his or eu be fired through the grass
tn the meop upoh 'ss tound ni thai 10 his
nm. The shot awakene au -. s md " I -.
em creature was broug; ;nto eSr. c.mn na II Il
ne was about six feet b.d smaI
na. head and enormous IL n"u u,,;,o h 10.
mi body ended not in fires w mnle ! eo;nt ~.
~ Il was found that the. ~ r bn,t
ell Air and water with peea.nao"ua DU.i ~
ned that when hungry the grs.h v, ,sh;ct I
fhe was q vegetable feeder, sn, oS.n VIZ :