The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-03-24
FISHING FOR SEA SPIDERS.
Lively Encounter with an Jncanny
Creature ~ Alaskan Water,

III any one desires a dash OF cxcitemen,
can recommend the fishing of Alaska. -
said n returned Kl0ndikcr. OF had been
fishing above Sitka when one day I found
myself near "A camp Of Indians As had
some game I divided with them. and
forthwith was invited 30 a feast Of their
own providing We sat around "A big
wooden dish, IN which was something
that looked like frogs legs. but frogs so
gigantic that / knew IL was something
else. II required some courage 10 eat
this dish. but hunger gives "a man stami-
ia OF certain kind. so 1 shut my eyes
and began the feast The article was not
so bad as IL appeared. il tasted like
crab. and some Of e had tho consistence
OF the rubber rings which babies chew on.
Altogether IL was not 10 be dospised.
combng food with exercise
"It was sea spider. so the natives told
me. a member Of the cuttlofsh family.
As they were going out on tho following
morning 10 fish for moro persuaded them
10 take me with them Wo droppod
anchor IN tho lee ~ little point Of rocks
where we began fishing IN IS a famous
country for fish. and il was nothing but
pull in for the natives. whlo 7 did not
have "a bite.
MY time was coming. however T had
on "A heavy sinker. so that every time the
boat lifted ! felt a sharp jerk which de-
cevcd me. But once. WHOM Tho boat rose
ON n big wave. my line did not give and
7 shouted 10 tho Indian next to mo that
was foul He took tho iinc gave a tro-
meadous Jerk and received ono .n return;
then bracing himself back he began 70
pull and scream: then an hands screamed
and r understood that "a sca spider had
the limo and also tho bottom expected
every minute 90 SEQ the canoe go over.
rs tho men went from side 20 sdo now
forcing the rail- down 60 tllt fhe water
poured in now lifting With mighty you.
then Stacking or so suddenly that they
fen in a hoan
zone man armed himself with a knife.
while companion held a sh0rt-handled
caseknife between his tceth-m0vements
suggestive of the coming NJ nm enemy
Suddenly one OF tho crow seized "a sharp
h0athook. which. after another look. he
iabhed into the unknown and invisible.
Tn response a long slender tautacle shot
ITO The afr and formed % weird .nferroga-
ton point. then DC grasned the pike. then
three more appeared. creeping ins'diouslv
over the edgo Of the canoe. at which tho
natives struck wildly some shouting 10
slack the line. others 10 haul in.
"ln the midst Of the confusion tho sea
'Dlder concluded 10 come aboard. Torn
from tho bottom. 70 had como up easily;
then. seeing tho canoe and possibly think.
ing ~ a vantage ground n gr1enod 70 and
sl.d over the side. n mass of living. Shiny
rcCd'sh-br0wn snakes. when they were
raised 7 could see rows of suckers. each
OF which was n vor.tabIe air-rump. and
as there We're seemingly thousands OF
them. tho sucking power of This spider
~ the sea- was apparent Blows were
aimed az 10 whenever opportunity offered
but the weird animal fairly slid over the
rail- winding ono of its arms around an
oar. IFS head or body hung ON the rail-
% brown mass the size of mans head
from which cleaned two greonish-vellow
ewes. Tho strange animal changed color
like a chameleon. fushos ~ rod brown.
and gray followed one another over Il.
whilo from frs lower portion oozed
stream o. ink which eni7shed IN orr
faces as tho tentaclcs few about. II was
fifteen minutes before they had the life
hammered ont Of the frchtful creature.
and then 10 was a question who had won.
'The canoe was now h1lf run Of water.
's % holo had been knocked in the side.
which was finally stonped with n piece ~
skin. il was five miles % camp. but
preferred walking and had tho men put
mo ashore. ] got % the camp IN time 10
meet hem md SEQ the eoa spider taken
out II had "a snread of nearly twenty
five feet. measuring from tho tip Of the
0utspread tentacles.- Inter Ocean.