Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-14
oNE o. rHn FnoRIpA RAYs.
An Ugly Fight with an Ugly Fisk
Twenty Feet Long and Eighteen Wide,

spend the winter among the warm tropi.
cal bays Of Florida is ike going from pur-
gatory to Paradise. There is shooting and
hshing enough TO satisfy the most ardent
sportsman. Deer aud turkeys live In the
surrounding forests. The streams and
lakelike bays abound in fish OF many
kinds. At times one may have a little
sport az the expense Of the sawfish, a kind
OF sharS-llke fellow, whose teeth, by some
strange mistake, appear to have located
themselves upon each side OF his long
nose rather than in the jaws.
Cruising along without any unusual in
cidents other than the ordinary shooting
and fishing, we one night came to anchor
in WYyile Bay. This Is a small nearly
circular sheet OF water, very shallow, and
with a narrow entrance at the sOutheast-
ern end of SanIbel Key. Unless you knew
the bay was there, you might sail within
half a mile OF 10 without discovering the
entrance, 50 we'll Is IL shut in by the land.
During this night cleaning phosphOres-
cent light hickered about in various parts
of the bay, showing that some shark-like
creature was roaming around searching
for its midnight meal. This was not an
unusual sight, 30 we thought nothing
OF 1t, except, perhaps, TO reflect how adj
miraOly nature has QUILTED some ami
mals-lurnishing them with lamp which
they can always have ready for use. The
creatures do not have the bother of 1lling
the lamps nor the worry Of gas bills. They
carry about with them some sort OF cleo
trio light generator.
Next morning, while lounging upon
deck, large dorsal lin was seen at times
| littlng itself above the surface. The crea-
ture seemed so large there was promise OF
sport, SO, taking our places in the boat,
we pulled toward the place where the
monster had last been seen. We piled the
oars with will, while the doctor, who
had often boosted OF bis leats with the
harpoon, stood in the bow ready to sink
the iron into its flesh. The doctor stood
at the bows, watching intently for thd
strange monster. In n few moments be
saw ahead OF us, down below the surface,
dark moving mass. We steadily neared
the fish until his form showed plainly in
the clear blue waters. which were scarce
ly disturbed by ripple. The creature
rose toward the surface, and the doctor,
! lifting his harpo0n into the air, held it
| poised for moment, while calculating
the distance, the effect Of refraction and
the force required. Then whlz went the
spear down into the water. A single
second sutticed 10 show the eject OF the
| cast. First the creature lifted his great
| tlippers from the water with a motion that
| sent bucketiuls of brine into the boat, Civ
/ IA uo hAA a AAApl AlhB btAbAs uIA hlS AAnQ
! began TO run out over the gunwale OF the
boat AS 1t skipped through the water,
| sWaying to and fro, the spray flew like
rain. After about fifty feet Of line had
| gone out we managed TO get hold OF the
| rope, and matched our strength against
| that Of the sea devil. II three individuals
we're ever ierked around in more viva
cious manner, they have my utmost sym-
/ pathles. Now the creature would land us
/ all together in heap, then slacken up and
/ take MS unawares, throwing us TO the deck
/ with force that fully came up TO my pre-
| conceived ideas OF sport
This sort OF iun lasted about five min
utes, during which council Of war was
held. The question at issue was, "shall
we cut the rope or hold on and let him tear
the boat to plecesW
Wedeeided TO hold on or die. Our hands
were badly blistered, and OF one accord
we let 60 and the line rushed out until the
end was reached. The rope was fastened
in the bow. ! held my breath, expecting
TO see the line snap, but 10 held fast. Back
| ward and forward went the monster,
sometimes faster, sometimes slower, turn
ing abruptly upon his course, then speed
! ing on again, in a vain endeaYOr to get rid
| OF his pursuers; but wherever he went we
| followed. One moment he was going d.
reotly for our schooner, and had he kept
/ on his course we would have been obliged
to cut the rope, but be turned aside.
He now went straight onward, turning
neither TO right nor left, and IL soon be-
came evident what new idea had entered
his head. He was going out through the
entrance into the deeper waters with the
idea OF eluding US there. swiftly we
rushed along, and begun to despair Of
capturing the monster, when OF sudden
| be appeared at the surface. Bang went
my rifle, and a piece OF lead was added TO
| mis- weight. The shallow water forced
him 10 the surface, and in five minutes not
less than half pound OF lead entered his
carcass. He began ~ grow weaker, and
we drew him along toward us. just as
we were going into the deep water he
turned savagely, as II to crush the boat.
AS he approached, the doctor dealt
deathblOw with lance, and the great feh
plunged with terrific force into the water.
| Then il became mOtionless. How long
this was kept up / do not know, but 1t
must have been nearly two hours.
We now began TO understand, for tho
first time, what a huge Gsh we had been
following. Finding that we could not
move the carcass from the bottom we
brought the schooner alongside, and rig
cling tackles to both maets, we managed
to hoist it to the surface, Ibut could not get
more than a :hird OF the body out OF the
water at a time. IL belonged TO the group
OF rays or skate. Inc common name Is
sea vampire or sea bat. He has no fms.
but uses the extended flaps Of the body as
means OF propulsion, and as he moves
through the water looks very much like a
huge bat; hence, l suppose, the name
vampire. The tail has shriveled up until
there Is nothing left but a long, slender
ray, i've feet in length and slender as a
whip-stick, a ludicrous appendage for
such a monster. The measurement from
side 10 side was twenty feet, and the length
about eighteen feet. We mad no means Of
determining its weight, but authorities
say that such aYampire weighs from three
TO four tons.
The head Is the part Of greatest interest.
The mouth is three feet by one foot, and
perfectly regular and oval in shape. IL is
beautifully white and smooth inside, and
without the least trace of a tooth. At
each angle of the mouth are strange. non
descriDt. feshY protuberances about eigh-
teen inches long and standing out OBJ
liquely. The creature no DOUBT feeds on
small organisms Of some kind, and when
swimming rapidly In the tideways is able
by means OF these organs 20 direct into
his mouth a larger amount OF food than he
could otherwise obtain.
The giile are a marvel of beauty. They
are six ia number, three on each side,
about two feet long and six inches wide.
They are furnished with about fifty pock-
afa aagh anaulpes fr,r "a rafFy huf fsloand on