The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-25
FEAR OF DEVIL FISH.
APPLIES TO ALL MARINE MONSTERS
OF HORRID AsPECT.

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From OnychOteuthIs to Lolsgo-A
Mother Whale Avenges the 4oss of
Her ORspring-BarracOu Awful
Jaws.
From the Cornhfll Magazine.
Among such primitive peoples as still ex-
ist. not the least curious or notable trait
which universally obtains is the manner
in which all things uncanny, or which they
are unable to comprehend are by COM
mon consent aserlbed to the devil. Not
to a devil as one of a host, but the devil
par excellence, though they understood
him to be deinabie only as the master and
originator of whatsoever things are terri
fying, incomprehensible, or cruel. Many
eminent writer's have copiously enriched
our literature by their researches into this
all-prevailing popularity, so that the sub
feet has, on the whole, been well threshed
out, and it is merely alluded to en- PEASANT
as one of the chief reasons for the epithet
which forms the title of this article.
Now it will doubtless be readily admitted
that sea-folk retain, even among highly
civilized nations, their old-woIId habits of
thought and expression longer than any
other branch of the population. This can
scarcely be wondered at, since to all of us,
even the least ina ginatiVe, the ternal mys-
terry of the ocean appeals with thrilling
and ever fresh effect every time that we
come into close personal relations with IL.
But when those whose daily bread de-
ponds upon their constant struggle with
the mighty marine forces, who are familiar
with SO many of its marvels, and saturated
with the awe-nspiring solemnity which as
the chief characteristic of the sea, are in
the course of their avocations brought
suddenly in contact with some seldom seen
visitor or horrent aspect, arising from the
gloomy unknown depths, with one accord
they speak of the monster as a devil
fish" and the name never falls to stick.
So that there is, not one species OF devil
fish but several, each peculiar to some
different part of the world, and inspiring
its own special terror in the hearts of
mariners of many nations OF the devil
fish that we in this country hear most
about, and is indelibly portrayed for us
by Victor Hugo, the octopus, SO much has
been written and said that it is not neces-
sary now to do much more than make
passing allusion to the family. But the
cephalopoda embrace so Vast, a variety that
it seems hardly fair to single out of them
ell the comparatively harmless octopus
for opprobium, while leaving severely I'M
mentioned the gigantic Onychoteuthis of
the deep sea, to say nothing of many in
termediate cutie fish. From the enor-
nous mollusc just mentioned-Whlch is,
not unreasonabIy, credited by seanen with
being the largest fish in the ocean--to the
tiny loligo, upon which nearly all deep
water fish feed, hideousness is their pre-
vailing feature, and truly appalling of as
pect some of the larger ones are while
7eritable sea scavengers, to whome moth
ing comes amiss live or dead.
When a youngster 1 was homeward
bound from SAINT Ana with a cargo of ma
hogany, and when off Cape Campeche was
one calm afternoon leaning over the taft
rail looking down into the blue profound
on the watch for fish A gloomy shade
came over the bright water and up rose a
fearsOme monster some eighteen feet
across, and in general outline more like
a skate or ray than anything else, all ex-
cept the head There, what appeared TO
be two curling horns about three feet
apart, rose one on each side of the most
horrible pair of eyes imaginable. A sharks
eyes as he turns sideways under your
NesseHs counter and looks up to see if
any one is coming are CHASTITY, green and
cruel; but this things eyes. we're all these
and much more. I felt that the Book of
revelation was incomplete without him.
and his gaze haunts me yet. Although
quite sick and giddy at the sight of such
tbine snddonI,, 49, 49, sooooS ill.,
1.inas e1i We seSiiieu I. IN
lessly to a hight of about six feet, fall
niobt b, spi'sIi md.
haze fal't1 petii iIe'lu i3l mus
ihlng l was conscious of was awakening
,r,to. 81 lousn cIolllls VI my sup
,i1y,ara y, t,s 'ae.i = nave seen one Ieap
S wind. c
49, ' ~ - pS ne9ru' dItnouSn why 'Hey
~ lI. 1iIat oat-hhe reap OUT Oh thelr prop
49, 's -I' - Iio' easy 10 UNDERSTAND. II
t,,S Iiol seem possible TO peneVe such awe
il5Iii1Ii"s horrors capaDle OF playing gam
00,,i's'
~ ahother time, while mate of a barkque
Nouns IN the Iohala river, one Of the
, .1al nanogahy ports was hshlng
'H evening from the Vessels deck with
very STOUT 9lne and hook for large fish.
.l PIo#hhg deFl hsh picked up my bait,
o,'t ~ lcenuS me nook, as suppose sprang
1I' ol water with It. am almost ashamed