The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-10-07

WHN"HN HN"'HNN
~ tasa oss ~ 40 ssanay ssas,sss ~.
aalsss tsatass ssa foot sstw raas.
naa. sttsns,h ~ thss saa, sassss
ilasa Arms.
Asasialft pun and slmtls hunting me
irsiinsh IL perhaps a. exciting and full ~
w, ideni na IAN h. found Na long aro a
visitor ~ san lmuiisuu saw m uctupus
banging in une ~ The mnrieis mud aissti
NTH thp dcsir ~ sor the uapfurn ~ such
uratufv followed Il 40 and cngap,d M
Portuguese Fishermen " iakr him ~ TN
loality, not far fnim the Uoldnn Gate
The amateur fisherman wns provided with
ma ordinary isai hook. which be- was tuld
was used IN the capture ~ the fish, and
when thu tide was wtll out h. was taken
10 group II help covcrd fucks aud w
formed that the pnmo WIS waiting 10 h.
flushed, ~ a were The place aioundcd
IN pods In which the water was about a
foot decp, these bing partially covered
with floating weed Passing from rock 20
ruck. the hunter thrust his hook, or spear,
turning up the sand nj the bottom u theso
puols
lie had nearly given up the chase when
his buat hook gave violent wrench under
his hands, and up frum the weed came nm
uncanny arm " livid and chocolate hucs,
finger trembling with rage and nppar
entity endowed with intelligence finger,
lined with enormous suckers, that curled
itself about the squid hunters leg 80 quick
ly that before he could make an aggressive
move he was In the arms Of the enemy.
As be fell, slipping partly On his back, he
-. hot h.lA ON
and that lac had pulled IL partly out Of the
water
Struggling 10 his feet, he was met by
what appeared 10 be ball Of snakes, with
two grrun eyes cleaning with rage and
fury and about which writhed eight suck
or lined arms. II was enough 10 demOral-
lie the most intrepid lover Of sport, but
! the octopus merely hung on, making no
I advance. Having gained his footing, the
! hunter took the boat hook by the end and
buried IL in the writhing mass, from which
Immediately an inky fluid poured and
seemed b. dye the water black. Waves Of
color shot over the arms, and the monster,
raising itself out Of the pool, underworld
| 10 haul its way 30 the ocean. 1t threw it's
/ long arms into every crevice, winding them
about the rock and holding ON with the
tenacity Of iron, gradually moving toward
! the water.
The body was but n small part Of the
affair perhaps Us large Ms n child's head,
and In this the hook was caught. The oc-
topus slowly gained ground, but finally
the fisherman obtained bracinR vantage
and held back, shouting for help With
assistance the animal was disabled and
borne ashore, where 1t was found TO have
a radsal sprvsd Of nearly Is feet.
Octopi Of this kind and size are found
all along the upper California coast to
Alaska, some attaining extraordinary pro
portions. Curious tales are told concern.
ing them, several instances being recorded
where they were supposed 10 have caused
the death Of swimmers. That they art
powerful enough to drown a man there Ii
not the slightest doubt One Of the size
mentioned could drown three or four men
at a time, assuming that they were swim
ming and that it could attack them In that
position.
The writer once saw an octopus with q
spread Of but four feet throw down a mar
who with others had been lifting rocks in
10 a boat from n reef, carrying them ashor'
to save the specimens found upon them
As piece was thrown upon the beach 1
big greenish brown octopus came out ant
started for the water, at which the man II
question, who was barefoOted, gave 1t 1
kick. Like flash, the animal rescntet
the insult by throwing its eight sucke
lined arms about its opponent, claspinI
him in an embruco that held his legs TO
gether so tightly that he fell headlong oil
the sand, shouting for help and fearing h
touch the animal with his hands to tear 1
of He was released only when one Of tn
men inserted knife beneath tho coils AM
severed the snakelike arms.
To show the strength Of a large on
taken at King island IL was landed In
net and after great difficulty secured by
party Of six men, who by wrapping piece
Of sacking around their hands to protec
; them from the suckers, each took an arm
! and walked away, but the octopus writhe'
} like u snake and actually pulled and haule'
} them about at will, 80 they had to exert n
; little force to prevent the animal from fas
tening to them, which seemed to be Its In
tention.
The strength Of the octopus is remarkH
! BILE. The writer has taken scores Of ther
with the spear and has known them {
bring up 20 TO 90 pounds Of coral, clingin
TO 1t with their tcntacles when pulled In
and these were comparatively small onei
the body being the size of one closed fist
1t il easy to imagine what the strength Of
large one might be- The octopus Is foun
on almost all COASTS where rocky shore
abound, but the California species is til
largest 1t Is hunted there as an article G
food and Is much relisbed by the Portu
guese. On the Mediterranean it IL equal
appreciated. The octopus has baglik
body, from which radiate eight sucke
lined arms its feet. Between these
the mouth, armed with two beaks, ik
those Of the parrut in shape and color ca
pable Of severing the backbone Of fish 0
o single bite. The tongue is provided wit
teeth The animal crawls over the rocl
by hauling itself along with a peculiar ga
Looping motion and can pass through cree
ces astoundingly small, SO that 1t ofte
disappears In the most mysterious fashion
San Francisco Chronicle.