The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-07-13
MONSTERS OF THE DEEP.
sons Mighty Qncer nj hos at the Islana
OF MaurIilus.


Some Mighty uucer NJ .he. Mt the I.lana
ot Mauriiius.
al never saw ssa-serpenL" said
Colonel Nicholas Pike. formerly Con.
sui at Mauritlus, 'but n fish was seen
while | was stationed at Port Louis
which answered very nearly to what
IL generally known as sea-serpent.
he keeper Of the lighthouse several
miles below the port and ON a ledge
some distance out tat sea sent me word
that huge fish. some ninety feet long.
had appeared there. and wanted me
To come down Immediately. l took
the FIRST b a., but. unfortunately.
when we reached the desired spot we
we're unable To land on account OF the
rnughness of the sea. aud were obliged
To stand on and of until IL calmetl.
When we finally landed tho huge fish
had disappeared. talked with at least
III y persons who were entirely trust
worthy Who hnd seen IL. They all
agreed ~ To its enormous size and un-
usual appearances MY opinion Is that
il ", s a sea-serpent, and that Il came
IN shore To spawn.
The island of Maurl,ius IL thirt,
miles long aud twenty wide and con-
| sisis of one huge volcanic deposit. r
contains many caverns which open
/ into the sen. In these l have found
/ Gsh and animals which were marvels
Tor form and color some being beau
tiful aud others hllrous A strange
serpent was said To inhabit one Of
| the eaverns, for which l made dill
| gent search. Ol | fishermen would not
go near its supposed haunts. A gen-
tleman owning n sugar estate near by
declar d that he had seen Il aud nn-
other that he hal fed Il with cuttle
! fish ana that H. was the most hideous
| brute lie had ever seem searched
for him in y hale boat with n bomb
lance and other tackle. but never
came across him. AT er left the
island my friend. Hon William Warl,
! who was a great shark hunter. took my
I rig aud went i'm search of the monster
I H. states that he saw his head and IL
was as big ms wine pipe aud WAS
I covered with barnaclcs; that he put n
/ hurpoon into Il, which was twisted III
/ as II II ha,lsbeen pipes EN-. He in
/ tended TO blow il mp but 3uld not get
4 the charge Ia the right spot and fin
I ally abandoned the search.
There were so many beautiful and
Interesting things IN nature at my
! siati Jn. however said the Co onel.
4 '1hat Il was not worth while To waste
any time searching after monstrosities.
I There was - fish seventy feet long.
+ which seemed 10 be cbnpo sed entirely
+ OF cartilage. When 1t was landed it
would all 60 Ia pieces. having no
bones at all Then there was what
/ was called the angel fish, which, when
hung M. seemed To have broad. white
wings like AN angel. Then there was
4 he wonderful esls which measured
inc feet Olce | caught specimen
f This fish, and getting him on the
bank. he fought so desperately that ]
/ lldn't know what To 10 with hi y.
! he native who was i'm attendance
called out .Massa / fix him. aud
leaning down grasped the squirmihg
tiSh with both hands bit through his
vert, b 40 and the fish succumbed i'm.
mcdiately. This specimen Is also IN
the museum nj Cambridge. The devil
/ ..sh. also found in the Indian ocean.
not very pleasant 10 met some
ines saw man VIII had his arm
badly lacerated hy one that it ha |
% be amputated II has body as
large as an ordinary dining-r. ON
able. with tentacles cx ending over a
/ space equal to an ordinary room and
nd so str. NJ that they can seize "a
| IN and drag him ont of boat.
Victor II tgo speaks OF this fish in his
Toilers of The SEA- Barnum also had
ane on exhibi ion here at one time.
Then. again. there Is the tazzard.
which has been called the tiger of the
ocean H is not longer than a walk,
ing-st.ck. but terribly fierce. In
walking over the reefs have fire.
| qaently encountered him. IL ne sees
| you approach he will wait and then
,lart at you like a flash. III there is
any portion of your body exposed he
will tear q piece out Of IL as il il had
been cut with raz III + shing one
day eff the mouth of the harbnr.
hooked two of these fish at the same
time with two different lines, aud in
rying 80 get them into my boat they
fought me with such desperation that
was obliged TO call two fishermen TO
help m. and they declared that they
were two of The worst fish they ever
killed. being worse than bull
logs. A fish called the laff exudes
a dc dly poison. A row of spines are
conceal, d in his back which. when
excited. he erects. These spines are
flied with milky-looking substance
which. when mi ctel into the human
Aesh. causes the most intense agony.
ed il remedies are not applied
prov pity. results fatally. This fish
generally conceals itself In the sea.
weed whcr, it Is apt to be stepped on
by the bather i saw soldier once
who had been unfortunate enough to
step on one of these fish. and his cries
could be heard for half mile. his
foot swelled greatly. but he surgeon
was successful in counteracting the
effects OF the poison and the man re.
covered. o shore at Mauritius there
were no da gers. bnt the moment v ou
, Ut your foot into The water voI wore
'urr un tel by dangerous fishes and
.eptiles. "-Brook y1 EGJie.