The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-21
THE KIyG OF CLANS.
He Weighs 500 Pounds and Sometimes
Catches a Man by the Foot.
Prof. C. F. Holder in Northwestern Chris
tfan Advocate

Prof. c.. F. Holder in Northwestern Chris
tian Advocate.
In our time there are gigantic shells
their presence sometimes being disagree
ably forced upon the finder. in the South
Pacific, where the ocean is apparently
cut up with small Islands or reefs Of coral.
the tridacna or king of CLAIMS, is found
a gigantic two-valved shell, with deep
radiations or convOlutions. that often
weighs 500 pounds, the animal alone weigh
ing SD pounds.
These monsters are found imbeded in
the coral rock, a singular frill of lightly
colOrel flesh only appearing above the sur
face This habit has been the cause Of a
number of accidents TO natives as well as
white men. The locality where they are
found is frequented by collectors of ma
rine curiosities. who send the shells. sea,
fans, and corals to America and Europe,
where they are distributed to the curios-
ity dealers all over the world. In search
ing for shells the collectors wade along
the shallow lagoons or reefs. followed
by lat-bottomed boat, into which they
toss their various finds.
on one occasion an inexperienced man
was hunting for shells without boat.
having merely a native net thrown over
his shoulders Seeing what he thought
was a large sea anemone of beautiful
tints he struck ii with his foot, and in an
instant was thrown upon his face, scream
ing with agony. The seeming anemone
was a giant shell that, startled at the
sudden attack, had closed its huge valve
and held the collector a prisoner as firmly
as though he had been clasped by a wise;
in fact, the shells cut through skin and
bone.
The unfortunate man was some distance
from help, and as he had started at
low tide the treacherous waters were
rising For an hour the victim under
went untold agonies of pain and appre-
hension, fearing that the tide would rise
above his lips. Struggles were useless,
and he heroically waited until a canoe
came in sight. when he signaled the occu-
pants. who, after much difficulty, re-
leased him, the animal having to be killed
by severing the great muscles that held
the shells together
A number of such instances are on
record, and large sharks have been caught
by the shells in the same way. Some ma
tives at the New Hebrides islands see
Ing an unusual commotion some distance
from shore, went out, and found a 10
foot shark beating the water. hurting
itself this way and that. as though held
by some enemy. Approaching they found
| that the big fish was held firmly by the
| tail, the lobe of which had touched the
| iieshy portion of the shell, and been
! caught.
To eXcavate one of these giants often
| requires the work of several men for a
week, as the shell at times is deeply in
cased in the solid coral rock, which has
/ to be cut away. One animal taken was
served as a dinner to the crews of two
vessels. affording a meal to fifty men.
| One species of these shells is very COM
mon, and is used as an ornament while
| others serve as receptacles for holy wa
ter in churches and cathedrals
a fine specimen may be seen in the
cathedral of Notre Dame in Montreal, and
another in the church of St. Supice in
Paris. The natives employ them as water
vessels, and a circular piece of the white
shell, highly polished and worn upon the
| forehead is considered an insignia OF
! rank.