Clarksville daily chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1884-11-06
rHE kINo OF cRAas.
JnpaEss MarvelOusly large Creature
twenty-five Feet Across.
philadelphia Times

the other day ran across a naturalist
who was examining curious object.
That's crab, said he, lifting an
enormous something that might have
served as shell for a large-sized turtle
and one of the largest known. This is
only the top shell; the legs were an
fortunately lost, and if you are as
tonished at this you will probably think
that am drawing on my Imagination
when say that the crab when alive was
twenty-five feet across.
The shell was curious ')iect-rough,
corrugated, of light yellow hue, and
about two feet across. The eye-stalkS
were two inches in height, and between
them extended upward a long, sharp
spine that would have been formidable
weapon if the giant was disposed to use
it.
''If you could see one of these fellows
alive" continued the naturalist, land
under the circumstances that did, you
wouldn't forget it. | caught this fellow
myself. They are found in Japan and
known as rock or spider crabs. The
shell of the large ones attains length of
about two feet and resembles moss
| COfCIGO IIOuu ~ bllO lOko,
that are truly enormous, and, as have
said this one when crawling along with
its claws expanded would stretch from
the tip of one to another at least
| twenty-five feet.
II had heard of these giants, but
had no idea that they attained this
enormous size. But when / arrived in
Japan soon heard from the native
fishermen the most remarkable stories
and soon found man who said he
could take me TO spot where they
could be caught. We started one
afternoon in one of the small native
boats and skirted the bay for seven or
eight miles, finally arriving at the
mouth of small river. Here we went
ashore and the Japanese soon rugged
up tent of rush, in which we were to
pass the night, as it was only after dark
that the sea spiders could be seen. 1t
was dusk when we reached the spot,
and for three mortal hours we sat there
speechless, watching the shore. The
tide was on the ebb, and finally
the fisherman graSped me sud
denly by the arm and pointed
down the shore way, and there | soon
made out curious, numbering object
making its way up out of the water The
moon was rising, and at every move the
creature glistened and sparkled as if it
was drenched with molten silver. On
it came until finally could make out
the outline of gigantic crab that was
undertaking the uncrab-like operation
of leaving the water and taking to dry
land. / waited until the animal stopped
and showed signs that it would go no
higher and then rushed out, making for
the water SO as to head 1t off. had
provided myself with large stick, and
soon found that should have to use it,
as the moment the huge creature saw us
it started for the water, crawling along
sidewise and at no mean rate of speed.
II placed myself in front of it, but on
the creature came, holding aloft its two
claws, each of which was ten feet long,
and by the time it reached me / stepped
aside, and was rather in a qualdary, as
wanted to secure it entire. The Jap
was talking and yelling something that
could not understand, and suddenly
grasped one of the big claws. Seeing
his game grabbed the other, and held
on as we'll as we could, and, would you
believe, the strength of the animal was
such that we could not stand still. We
pulled in opposite directions, however,
and in this way lifted the animal from
the ground; but while we were holding
on, the cpsb, by quick movement,
threw off its large claws, as you have
probably seen small ones do, and over
we went headlong into the mud,
each holding a claw, while the crab
took fresh star for the water. We
dropped the claws and soon had it, and
native rope quickly had it powerless,
although its struggles to escape and the
strength displayed were marvellous
that is, in a crab. l found that the
crabs came upon the shore every night
and wandered about to feed, it is pre-
sumed, on the muddy flats Before
morning we caught another and smaller
one that had spread Of about ten feet.
We have king crabs here, but these fell
lows were the kings Of the crab family,
sure enough. / took 1t to Japan and
shipped it to New York in two boxes,
but, unfortunately, the one containing
the claws was lost, and have only the
she'll to tell the story. There are, how
ever, several good specimens in this
country. Harvard college has a fair
specimen, but not as large as these have
mentioned.
What are they good fort Well, in
Japan they are eaten just as we eat
crabs here The great claws are the
only really valuable parts, and one crab
will produce meat enough TO supply a
whole family. Then, again, the shell
is broken up and made into curious
medicine taken by the natives, and,
euriously enough, they also make a
medicine out of fossil crab that they
get in the back country. Though this
crab Is the largest, it is not as powerful
as the famous palm-tree crab of the
islands south of Japan and in the Indian