Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-12-13

for permaneucy without moisture,
Rut the jury were satisfied, and the
guilty man confessed,
"r&l&saS fishes make 4 very antique
lest. We have II. indeed. on the grave
authority ot Nclentyn, the learned his
torian and naturalist OF Dutch India,
that mermaid was taught not only
To speak, but to spin and to under
stand the tcurts OF Christianity: but
mermaid is not quite q fish.
II is not commonly believed that
fishes have any power OF utterance,
but, although the fact is not proved
absolutely, yet, 81 far as we have
read, there Is such mass of testi-
mony from divers regions, contributed
by Observers ot such credit, that the
fact is no longer doubtful
Sir Spencer st, John recouutS that In
Quo of his Bornean expeditions he con-
tSnually heard booming sound which
rose Individually from the water; his
Malay crew asserted that II was made
by n fish, OF which they caught Il spccl.
men presently, II we may trust our
recollection or the passage In Forests
of the Far East" It proved to bo Il
creature resembling the lamprey In the
respect that II attached itself to the
Boat, Somewhat similar, apparently,
Is the occalioc. the drummer fish ot
the Niagara, the voice OF which IA
described MS "hugg- buzz"
:" It Is reported by Pallcgoix that a
fish called ny the Siamcse dogs
tongue" fixed itself to the tImhers OF
boat "et Ait entcndre I'm hruit tres
sonorc ct meme harmonious" At the
mouth OF the rascagola river, In the
state OF Mississippi, n bay on the
north coast of the gulf OF Mexico, and
at Baltimore. the same phenomenon IL
asserted; in the last instance they at
tribute II to n species OF catfish The
Swan river, In Australia, has Its
"trumpeter," and the fishing folks OF
Lisbon assert that the corvina, which
does not seem to be identified, uttcrs
n drontng sound
AZ Naldrra, IN China, near the land.
Ing place, Il very pleasing serenade
Is heard sometimes. The music re-
scmhlcs that Of harp, with n range
Of four notes nj least: the injurious
people of the neighhorhood have no
theory about II, But n like concert IL
usually heard ut various points
"H the Indian coast; and
there, of course, its origin
Is we'll understood that IL, the natives
may be right or wrong, but they have
an explanation.
Dr, Buist describes II "as long dis.
tant sounds like tho protrnctcd boom
Ing OF distant bell, the dying ca.
dcncc of an Eollun harp. the note OF n
pitch pipe or pitchfork. or any other
long. drawn-out musical note. II be.
came much more sonorous when liz.
tenor put his head to the planks OF
the vessel.
Next day the boatman presented
DR. BUST with II number OF ilsh which,
rs they said, produced the music-a
species very plentiful, In size and
shape like our perch Sir Emerson
Tenant heard such stories In Uoylou,
and he paid visit of inquiry to Bat
ticaloa. They were amply confirmed.
TO Sir Emerson tho notes sounded like
the gentle thrills Of n musical chord
or the faint vibration OF wineglass
when Its rim IL rubbed by n molstened
finger
ut was not one sustained note, but
a multitude OF tiny sounds, each dis
tlnct and clcnr In Itself the sweetest
treble mingling with the lowest bass"
AZ usual, the harmony deepencd In
volume when the ear was applied TO
the woodwork or the boat.