The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-10-13
MISCELLANY.
Mighty Ga Fish,

AL lluhDlldnb vi but OIlnOCO llN6I,
of which little is known beyond the
shores of the waters in which it lives,
is that strange mail clad fish called
the ga, or armadillo fish. 1t grows
from five to eight feet long and is of
extraordinary thickness in proportion
to its length. Its body is protected
by armor similar to that of the arma-
dillo and its head terminates in tri-
angular peak, from twelve to twenty
inches long, and eight to fourteen
inches broad at the base, which, when
opened, displays series of cross
ridges above and bel )w, sharpened and
as bard as teeth.
This fish will attack anything that
comes within it's reach-horse, OK, Jag
uar, or man, selling it's prey with its
beak and taking out, in clean, TRAN
gular piece, as large mouthful Of
flesh and bone as it is able to compass
at bite. 1t is rare that any creature
once seized by the ga escapes it, being
usually killed or crippled by the first
bite.
The ga is seldom taken, for it's armor
protects 1t from the natives spears,
and when hooked it dives, head fore
most into the mud of the bottom, from
which it is almost impossible to dis
lodge it.
1.-THE only ga that ever had a
chance TO exa nine was found in dried
up pool on shore, where it had been
stranded after an inundation," said Dr.
A. II. Ellis, recently arrived in New
York, after several years. residence in
Venezuela. He was telling group of
friends about the fish and reptiles of
the Orinoco. He continued:
~ hooked a ga once, but failed to
land it. / was in charge of the cattle
steamer Coratel on the Orinoco, and
we were at anchor at Imataca Island
off the mouth of the Rio Toro. l saw
an OK, that had waded into the water
keep his footing, AID then rush out of
the water, with half his brisket bitten
away.
That's the work of ga, sir, said
my Scotch engineer, who had been on
the river for ten years. Now that he's
got around to the cattle's drinking
place you'll see more of that work if we
stay here
I" is there no way 10 catch him?' l
asked. Will he bite at hook2'
Certainly, sir, if y1u bait it with
anything that's eatable But that's all
there is to it, A cable and steam
winch couldn't get ga up from the
bottom
wen see,' said. Let's make a
hook first that will hold
eve went down into the engine
room, found pinch bar two and q
half feet long, and forged it into q
hook with strong barb and ring al
the end Of the shank. To this we fast.
ened a new three-quarter inch rope
and, batting the hook with a young
kid, took it out in boat and dropped
it into the water near where we had
seen the OK attacked; then we rowed
back to the steamer, where the other
end of the rope was Delayed. We
kept feeling of the rope, which pres
emily grew taut, straining hard on the
beliying pin. The ga had seized the
bait. The engineer and l, with two ma.
tive sailors, tried TO haul the fish in
hand over hand, but we might as well
have tried to pull tree up by the root;
for all the line we gained. Then we
passed the rope round the capstan
and set it going. The line seemed al.
most ready to part, but at last some.
thing gave way below and it slackened
We pulled it in and there was our hook
Strengthened out like bar, while, fast
to the barb, were two of the bony
ridges from the gas jaw. The fish evil
IDENTIFY had seized the hook and coulG
not disgorge it, but the strain that tore
the hook from its jaw failed to start the
ga from the bottom"