The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-11
AN OCTOPUS Dimes.
CFrom the san Francisco Call

from the San Francisco CALI
Never before has it fallen to my lot
to see the terrible monster We encOunt-
cred on the last passage from San Fran
cisco toward NanaimO in the bark Will
scott to Honolulu
We knew that the octupus grew to an
immense size, as Banks and SoIander,
who accompanied Capt Cook IN his first
voyage around the world. found the
dead carcass Of one floating on the
water TO the westward of Cape Horn.
II was supposed to be twenty by thirty
feet, the body only: the tenacles were
hanging under water It was surround
ed by myriads OF birds, which were
feeding greedily on its remains Pllny
also mentions a similar monster having
eight arms, thirty feet long, and a cor
responding gfrth; and many other writ
ers. too numerous to mention, have GER
titled to its actual existence But did
not believe that anything similar to
the terrible devil fish, described by Vic
tor Hugo was really in existence until
I had ocular demonstration OF the fact
on this passage.
I viii now quote our log book in re-
IatiOn TO the monster We saw Saturday
May Is, latitude SO degrees 30 minutes
north, longitude 136 degrees 30 minutes
west. Light breeze from north by east,
dry. cloudy weather; smooth sea, ex-
cept for the usual slight undulating
swell from the northwest Ship under
all sail. braced sharp upon the star
board tack, going five knots per hour.
but scarcely making a ripple on the
water. At 2-30 p m, my attention was
called by the uuartermaster. Frank
Bastas of san Diego, Cal, to a terrible
| comnotion in the water about three
points forward of the lee beam
It's eyes were large, OF a greenish
tint and somewhat prOtruding; its
mouth. however was not SO very large,
and it appeared to be shaped like par
| rOt's bill; its tentacIes were tar ering, and
! like its body, of a graytsh color, covered
| with spots It appeared to possess the
chameleOn-like power of changing the
/ color of these spots in a most extraOr-
binary manner as fast as the eye could
detect the changes; they varied from a
| very rich crimson to a dark. dull brown
| these changes, no doubt indicating the
high state of excitement under which
/ the creature was at the time.
/ Suddenly the Octupus discharged a
| huge jet of dark-cOlored fluid full into
! the eyes of the sunfish and then rush
| ing forward with the rapidity of an ar
1 row it encircled its prey with the long
] tentacles, and in another moment the
| victor and the vanquished had disap-
/ peared below the surface of the water
| In a few moments more we had sailed
| right over the scene and found the
/ water was cOlOred almost black for a
] space Of fully 200 feet in diameter, and
| We noticed an OdOr slightly resembling
| iodine rising from the water: our pat
| ent log line OF snow white cotton, which
! was towing astern, was CoIored almost
| black, and it has not yet assumed its
I white freshness. although it has towed
I III AA-G v cANEl AAAAg ogV aAAAAGS S41ACC Ike
| above episode
About twenty minutes after we had
passed over this spot we saw the huge
| creature again on the surface enjoying
! its meal in a very leisUrely manner
! rolling the body of the unfortunate sun
! fish over and over and biting off large
| mOuthfuls with its cruel-lOoking beak.
| I knew before that these huge octO-
| pods and their relatives. the decapods
/ were not altogether mythical, as they
| have at the United National museum al
| Washington a PAPER nache cast of one
| of the latter which was found stranded
| on the north shore Of Trinity Bay, New
! fOundIand. on the 22d day Of Septem Der
| 1887. The total length of this specimen
| including tentacles. was only sixteer
| feet, so It is quite safe to infer that il
| had not become OF age when it was
| wrecked.