Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-20
In WAKE OF WHIPPAREB.
THRILLING EXPERIENCE WITH BIG
FISH AND FLORIDA BOATMAN.
SWIMMING Through Water ut . Rapid
Rate-HOw Highly Polished Mic
ramoc EGGS Are Protected
by Leather Covering.

LOOK over yander. way over yander,"
said my long yellow-haired Florida boat
man. picking up his grains and pointing
over the blue and CLASSY reef. Don't you
see over yander?"
1 followed the direction Of his long
finger and in a moment saw a big fin
glisten in the sunlight. SHARK" 1 sug-
gested.
mo. whipparee,' replied the man; IAN
I'm logged II II amt the bigges. one |
/ nodded assent.
Jest TAX yo' shoes off. then. an max
yo'self comfortable in case anythin' does
While 1 acted on the suggestion he slow
ly scuiled the boat in the direction of the
cleaning fin, that now shot out of the
to be followed beneath the surface OF a
curious wave which moved in a great
circle. suggestive of a large fish,. The
skillful manipulation Of the single oar,
gradually charging the great circle: then
the tall sculler stopped a moment and mo-
We fioated IN the edge of a mimic mael-
storm, caused by the evolution of two
gigantic rays which Were following one
~ lifting their fins out of water as they
turned. The boatman had fastened his long
grain line to the end of the painter. pulled
y Wi5bi Sea easv re af hi then eaS SakIng the afG long
slender pole in his right hand. he slowly
sculled the boat ahead. and, watching
his chance. dropped her directly in the
course of the fishes. On they came, SEEM
ingly in ignorance Of the presence of an
enemy, and as one great tip. angular and
black. rose from the water and caught
the CLEAN of the sun. the boatman tossed
the grains into position; then reaching
back, he sent 1t kissing through the air. 1
was quite unprepared for the result. The
whole ocean seemed to rise before me- But
it was only the ray, only the ~whipparee.
which for a second appeared like a gigan-
tic bird Tapping its wings in the air. a
as black as night. The great fish rose
several feet, an appalling spectacle, then
fell with a resembling crash, creating a
boat.
Rapid Navigation.
Look out" cried the boatman, toss
ing The line over the bow with a quick
motion. and hauling the dinghy's nose
around with the other hand.
The movement was none too soon, as
went kissing. coiling over the side like
a living thing. Like a fash the end came.
The line grew taut. and with a terrific
lunge thai sent the tall Conch tumbIing
dragged half under water and then went
surging on behind the wave of silvery foam.
"Yo' nerve all right, boss" said the
and shipped the oar. "Yo' go up yander,"
handing me his caseknife. and Indicating
the bow; AN if we capsize 1 reckon yo'd
I crawled forward. while he. by a des-
perate effort, kept the bow headed for the
fish. which was pulling us through the
the speed would mak so big a wave
ahead that it would swamp the boat. or
that the fish would reach deep water and
an altogether different fate awaited US.
The fish had been stuck in a coral lagoon
about ten feet deep, and in its wild rush
a grove of branch coral and then into
water not -four feet deep. Finding out its
mistake, 1t turned and made even a greater
error by running into a m mud fiat. The
straight for q bunch Of big coral heads,
when the ray turned suddenly at a sharp
angle on seeing them from afar. and be;
the line slipped over the side, and one
rail seemed to stand straight up in the air
as the boat careened and filled.
helm. and On we went for about twenty
yards until, with a rush, the big fish fairly
darted out upon the mud at and lay high
water violently with its powerful wing
"Thar's yo' fish," said the Conch, tip
watched the struggles of the giant. IAN
mighty easy"
Inc ray was d FAMOUS mdTtd. one OF
the largest of fishes, of which specimens
have been seen that were estimated to be
twenty-five feet across the back Our cap
| ture was about sixteen feet wide. with fins
which looked almost exactly like wings,
| and in fits struggles they had an up-and-
dow movement like those of a bird. At
the mouth or head were two large ten
tacle-like organs or claspers.
| The Protected Micramoc.
My companion was a micramoc and
| conch hunter. so that the surprise of the
| %whipparee was merely an incident in the
| DAYS work. Sc when the tail of the big
fish had been taken. the boat bailed. and
our clothes wrung out to dry in the hot
sun, the Conch again poled US out on the
reef in search of micramoc. This is the
name in the Conch vernacular for the
shells know in more scientific circles as
cypria. one variety Of which, as large as
a hens egg. beautifully spotted with
mon among the roots of the branch coral
| whic grew so luxuriantly in the lagoon.
Even now and then my Conch reached
down into the water, with his head be.
meath the surface. and by main force tore
great branches Of coral from the bottom
and rested them on the edge of the boat
From them dropped myriads of strange
crea~tures-crabs, small fis>s of brilliant
hues. starfishes. red and brown, white anG
black echini. living pincushions. and deer
in among the dead root-like portions OF
the coral a black egg-shaped object which
the Conch deity removed. 1t was GOV
cred with a black membrane. and as thi:
highly polished shell of the micramoc wa:
exposed. protected from the slishtest
scratch by the living cloak which the ami
NAL had thrown over 1t. In almost every