Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-12-03
HOW BaTFIsH ARE CAUGHT.
Chase After n Marine Monster off
che California Coast.

Clap on here, boysp' shouted stall
wart white man to number of Mexicans
who were loafng around the beach near
the little town Of Loretta, Southern Cali
fornia.
What for? Why, that, J" and the speak
or pointed to great ripple about fifty
feet off that seemed moving round and
round in constantly increasing circle,
| while occasionally black fin came into
view, cutting the water like knife, and
creating a foam that glistened like
molten silver.
! ADiabloP' cried an excited greaser.
sVamperot" shouted another.
"Yes, a devil fish, and big one, too"
retorted the Amer can, land $40 worth
of oil, which is more to the purpose.
Now, will you clap on9'' he repeated,
lifting the boat, ''or are you going to
stand there and watch the fish leave the
placer" This aroused the men, and
seizing the heavy boat, they ran the craft
into the sea, four of them with the
American leaping in and showing off.
.'When strike this fish you want to
be on your seat, (" said the skipper. ''as
he's liableto jerk things lively" The
boat, which was clumsy imitation of
wha!eboat, was provided with large
harpoon, something like an eel spear, to
which was attached long line, coiled
under the bow seat The American
seized the pole and the Mexicans pulled
slowly out.
Now when I strike, " said the former,
''git them oars in quick. Dye under
stand2"
s'Si, senor," whispered the crew in
concert. 'And you, Antonio, you git
an oar behind and keep right in after the
critter, for l don't want to have to cut
the line Dye hear?' Another chorus
OF Isl Senor, and the boat gradually
neared the ripple. The green hand
would never have suspected the pres
ence of an enormous fish beneath this
Elusive ripple-it might have been a
turtle making ripple or small wave,
such as is often seen. The swell was
perhaps three inches high and moved
along slowly, every now and then the
pointed triangular shaped fin appearing,
now white, now jet black. For mo-
ment it would apparently tremble in the
air, then disappear. A few more pulls
on the oars and the harpooner made a
motion with his hand for the oarsmen
to stop rowing. In swinging round the
circle the curious object was approach
ing, and now a black indefinite shape
was seen. Nearer it came, sweeping
along with the movement Of some pom
derous body. When within ten feet the
Mexicans again grasped the oars
and sat breathless. The har-
pooner raised his weapon;
for single second his arms were rigid,
then with hiss the pole struck the fish,
for an instant trembled, and then the
whole bottom OF the sea seemed to rise
as bird or bat tshaped creature Of gigan-
tic proportions rose into the air. It's
enormous wings cut the air for mo-
ment, and then it fell with resounding
crash, the waves breaking over the boat
and threatening to swamp it.
The Mexicans, although terrified,
jerked in the oars, and the harpooner,
brushing the water from his eyes, hurled
coils of the,line over in the endeavor to
keep pace with the demands upon it.
But it was no use. The fish was rushing
away with the speed of the largest
whale, and with shout the skipper gave
the warning. The rope came taut, a ter
rife jerk, and the boat was soon flying
along, hurting the foam aside and taking
the waves as they came, headed, as near
as a flying calculation would indicate,
for Hong Kong.
'sNo like dis, said one of the Mexi-
cans as big wave came aboard and the
boat buried herself in another. The
outlook was indeed dubious, and the
only consolation that could be derived
from the man at the bow was that he
held big case knife between his teeth,
fact that showed at critical moment
the line could be cut. But this was re-
mote from the skipper's intentions. The
fish had been gradually changing its
course until it headed down the coast in
the general direction of Honolulu. This
was cheering, and soon the slack line
was tossed aft, and the bowman shouted
an order to clap on. This meant that
the boat was to be put alongside the
monster. The Mexicans vigorously pro-
tested but finally laid on, and the strug-
gle began. Every move seemed to spur
the fish to greater endeavor, so that its
jerks and leaps through the water again
threatened the boat, their intensity show
ing the pain and terror Of the creature.
Experience, time, and plenty of rope
will catch the biggest fish, and this was
no exception to the rule. Inch by inch,
foot by foot, the rope was taken in;
now slackening to avoid capsizing the
boat, now taking the spray in their
faces, the martyrs to this novel kind of
fishing laid on and hauled. Half an
hour Of this slackening and pulling, and
the big black mass was again in sight.
Soon it was not five feet of, the boat
tearing along just over its back. A
broad knife-likc lance rugged to pole
was now taken in hand by the engineer
in chief of these proceedings, and re-
peated thrusts Of this blade were made