The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-16
A SHINY SEA SPIDER.
AN ENCOUNTER WITH AN uNcANNY
CREATURE IN ALASKA.

A Fishing Adventure With Flenty OF
Excitement When the Monster
Came to the surface-Liyely Work
Fighting Its Tentacles.
"If any one desires dash of excitement,
I can recommend the fishing Of Alaska"
said returned Kondiker. II had been
fishing above Sitka when one day found
myself near camp of Indians As had
some game divided with them and
forthwith was invited to feast Of their
own providing. We sat around big
wooden dish, In which was something
that looked like frogs legs, but frogs SO
gigantic that l knew it was something
else. 1t required some courage to eat this
dish, but hunger gives man stamina Of
a certain kind, SO I shut my eyes and be-
gan tho feast. The article was not SO bad
as 1t appeared 1t tasted like crab, and
some of 1t had the consistcnce Of the rub
Der rings which babies chew on. Alto
gether 1t was not to be despised, combin-
ing food with exercise.
ut was sea spider, SO the natives told
me, q member of tho cuttledsh family. As
they were going out on tho following
morning to fish for more persuaded them
to take me with them. Half of the excite-
ment of fishing here was getting afloat.
The bay was an omen roadstead into which
the sea rolled, and VIC were some time get
ting through the seas which. II not noun
tain hieh, came very near it, Finally we
made the run and dropped anchor in the
lee Of little point Of rocks where we be-
gan fishing. Each man had different
tackle some largo, some small lines, and
to me fell an outfit which was a cross be.
tween a shark and cod line Presently
the men began hauling in rock cod. using
the little candlef]sh for bait, There is a
curious thing about Alaskans This little
fish. which thew catch with a comblike mr..
ranrement. thcy cat. II they are So dispos
ed. or. If thew want n LIGHT. thcy fasten a
Ash betwoen two sticks and LIGHT it's hend
when IT will burn like n candle. 1t is n
famous countrv for fish. and IL was Moth
ing hut null in for the natives, while I
did not hive n bite
"Mv TINA was cominp however T had
m heavy sinl,er. so that every time tho
boat lifted felt n sharn Jerk, which de-
ceived me Rut opcc when tho boat rose
on a big wave nv ljne did moi rive and
7 sbouted to tho Indian ncyt mo that
was foul Flo tool, tho line. rave n trc.
mendous Jerk md received onn in retrrn,
then, brnripp himself back. he hogan 70
null md scream, then all hands scrr;,mrd
AND 7 nnaere,ond tbnt ;, so, snidrr md tbe
limo and also tho bottom Ieypcctcd ev.
crv MINNIE to 500 tho canoe 90 over ns
tho men went from side to side now fore.
inp the r,i1 dow 90 that tho water no,,r,d
Stacking off 81 suddenlv TINT thev frll in
n boan Ein,llv aft,r thoy had snrc,uod
Themselves out If h,e,tb md sctt,cd con.
aicts of oninion th.v hanl,d tbn rnn, n.
tuut as nnssihIn t,kipr i, thn elacl; inth
by inch as tho canoe sau, i, tLn hollow
of awave tbon boldino on ne n hig pr,und
s,,n,, ,yould raiso hon
..irbis nl,n saopnd cer+,in ci+bor to lift
the bottom mr. to sink tbc canoe ard after
cover,l ,ttou,,ts to accomr)isb thc ,,tter
something rave sradenlv Amid tho
Greatest evcitemont tbn mon ouicllv
b.nled AWAY Rho line came nm re.dilv
tba tsbnrman ,cc,sion,,lv Io,k; in. ovcr
ondeoror;,,, r. On, vh,t wac M IL ono
n,r ,rned hi,nself with , Enife vbilc .
comnon;on hnld short h,rd,ed caso
tnife hatweon his t,otb--movn,,nrts c,r.
oostiro ~ tho ,on,;no If az ,ro,,v sd
don,v ono ~ tho cro1y ro;zod , ehnr,, boot.
hook which after ,notl,cr lool, hr i,hro1
jntn th, unknown and invis;h,a In ~.
snonsn :, lopp slordrr tant,cln sbot info
+hn mir ana for,nod :, roird intar.nG,,t;n,
noint then If orasned the nike, ,hnn thrne
MORA ,,,n,oro5 c,oon;,n ;n.i,i,nn,I,, n,,on
tho ed pa ~ tho CANOE at ,,hich thn n,+;ros
strucL wildly COMO sbontin,r IN s,,rl, tba
line otbers ~ henI in
.In tho ,,,;dst NJ III, confus;o, +bo soo
snidar concluded n coma ,h',,rJ ,rorn
from, tho hotto,,, IL b,1 oo,,n ~, ,,si,,,
tben seeinn tho c,uoo nrd n,sSit,l, th;ni,'
inc IL ynn+eao rrorrd il r nr.s,,cd r. AMI
sliI ovsr tho siJo n n,ass ~ Ii,'ir,r slim't
roddish h,.o,,.,, s,aLos WIZ tL',,, ,,,,
roieod r could Coo NOW. re s,n,.,,s ooah -
which ,r,s n ,sr;+,tI, ,irn,,,,,' AID VA
there wore seemingly tbonsanda of thon,
ths .uckino mower ~ the s,idnr NJ th,, en-,
was .n,aro,t p,o1r. ,.or p .j,,ad ~, IL
wbarever onnortunitv nfrorod hut tho
wcir1 or,,nai f,ir, cid nvnr tbn r.tI I
,rirdi,,r, o,a "a IT,, ,,n, u,,,rd ~, .,. ',
Its boa5 nr b,dv bnrn On ,hn rnil
Known ,,ss tho siga - ,ran;s band
frorn hich a,oan,e "l'' t,v, rroanish ro,la,,
oros M stra''t.o n;,,ti a,,n,,.oi ta.L ,n,