The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-01
sTos1As cE cUTTLEFIsH.
serae of the Giant Kind ON the Cora
wall Coast.

SICEsiGS CG CUTTLEEISH.
SsE,e of the Giant Kind ON the Corn
wall Cosst.
From the Contemporary Review
On tie coasts of Cornwall the lsIg st
forr,s are readily caught 81 tn. fis ERIN q
look. and IN objectiorabIe companion hip
10 sometimes tho result THIS Has tie
case recently near Msvasizsey. On dark
autumn night. in snsi. boat. Szmu
Kelly was hshir: on the high rocks cff III,
Griffin Ho2Giaud. when ora OF tles. devil
f.sh took his bait. and with the uSusl +
fort was hauled on board. Blu. his FL
Guilty was to get the hsox to csatiEue hi:
work. for he lad sssa successful in catch
ing several pollock and coz ger ard tae mo-
msnt he torchsd the brute SOHO CT Ai'
cla.Eny tert.cias would sEab-acs bis arn,
holding him to the spot. Tor its other arus
were fastened around tbs th~art. S On thu
beast became 80 Violent TIA. it rea ~ ma e
him fear 1t. Hs made = scprsrns effost to
get his hook, but the crsaturs fastened 1t,
largest suckers On this back OF his rig t
hand. ard in the BATHS he had TO DRIP is
line and with the nails CT tiy icf. la d
10 dig tho SUCKERS out o. lis &c n. I r
tksy seemed to bury th.m selves there
After this experience tssrs vss 70 no 9
>
a sharp krifs he quickly cut tbs ho-k tr n
Its hold. upon which the cuttls erept away
to another Part CT tins bea.. But tsis d
not finish Mr.. keiiy's Eight NO K. for o.
again throwing out his Inns he had a S i'll
heavier haul, ard when it caIs 10 the
waterl;ne 10 could rot get 1. an in i
further. although he used al his s:fec gtl.
for the line was new AID stronger th n
he could break.
In this diismIla lie had to hold on tight
and on loosiE. ever the side by the aid
Of Gickering light he found kimsatf
glariEg into ths eyes OF another deyilhsh,
and a mach larger one than the arst.
He further found tdat tho creature had
taken the beat for its enemy. ans was at
lacking it with all ito force. its tentaclez
embracing the stern On the ore hand, and
running forward to near the middle sec
ton on the other.
On thinking over his recent troubles
with its neighbor. and the waste OF time
likely to ensIs in a still longer encounter
with q stronger brute. he decided not to
risk another fight. but to use the advan-
tage OF its violent onslaught on the boat.
Taking his knife and watching his OPP
portunity he finally cut the hook out Of
the intruder. which. On being liberated.
soon dropped out Of sight.
The next day verified rr1st CT Mr.. KeI-
ly's statements. The arms Of the dead
octopus in the beat stretched over seven
feet. ard on the back Of Mr. KeHy's hand
was very black bruise about hat al
inch in diameter corresponding with the
inner circles of one OF the largest suck
ers of the dead octopus SINGS then he
has caught several Of these cuttIes, and
ore whose arms stretched over six feet
and a half. In our waters none OF these
head-fCoted moliusks have teea knovn 10
take human life. but il IS scarcely Ques-
IL favorable opportunities pre-
scented themselves. that they would DO So
In 1879 enc Of tbs attendants OF the Scar
borough Aquarium was attacked By only
a small octopus whsu cleaning out tank
The experience might have ended fatally
had he been in the SEA with food tide.
AS it was ne had to make his exit. leaving
his boot (by which the creature held him
fasD behind him. But there have been
occasicrs in cther seas vixen the Or t
has happened. and men have been caught
in the shiny folds OF gigantic cuttles.
which have held them on or dragged thcm
to destruction Sir Grenviiie Temple tets
Us how Sandman captain. while bathing
at Jerbeh. was seized and drowned By an
octopus. his limbs being found b0uad By
the arms OF the animal. although only IN
four feet Of water; white Capt. j. M
DeHs, French navigator of repute. states
that when of the coasts OF Africa three
Of his men were scrapirs the sides Of bis
ship on q fine day when they were attack
Ell By one OF these violent creatures. which |
drew two of them away under water II |
spite of every effort made to 5ays them. |
while the third who was rescued. DIED |
during the night. In the fight one OF the !
creatures arms was cut OF, twenty five |
feet in length. and with suckers on il as |
large as pot lids.
Should there still remain particle Of ,
doubt in any mind respecting the exist /
aEre OF gigantic entities. this will BE- dis |
PEELED by the following fact recorded by |
Tie Rev. NJ Harvey. of st. Johns. N. F.:
On October % 1873. two fishermen were
,ut in a boat near she eastern end Of Con
,eption Bay Observing a floating object |
on the water they roged toward 1t and |
struck it. on which it Immediately shot |
out two vast tentacles around the boat. |
IS If wrestling with an antagonist For |
.upateIy. they had Ratchet on boari with |
which they cut them from the creature, |
which. after hlackening the sea with its |
nix. soon made off. One or tiiess mag
lifcent fragments was measured by Alex |
,nder Murray. gs0losist. and Prof. YER
ill, Of Yale College. Connecticut. who |
'ound it to be seventeen feet long and |
.hree and half feet in circumference |
This fragment is now preserved in st |
Tohn's Colles.. Newfoundland. Since then
scientists have further considered the sub |
ect, and concluded that this beast with |
is tentaclcs could not have been less than |
'orty-four feet long.
Revertins to the British octopus. I may
urther state that its rinlicry is very /
treat. The colors it uses run through deep
chocolate. dull red, brown. and grey. and
t has the power OF so arranging the1d
mes that In the shade and cover OF the
lark rocks II is almost unseen by any eye
which facilitates its easily worrying
;trapger bouncing upon its food or hidiGS
rom its enemies. It's change from one
.olor TO another is almost instantaneous.
md the body can be NOTED win the whois
If these tints just as quickly.
once saw n tank cut in the rocks on the
men coast near low water and covered with
many folds OF iron netting, in which were
cent twenty of these cuttles. Around The
des and bottom grew the dark olive lami
,arian seaweeds, and on the rocks undc-
hem chung a stunted reddish brown flexi
lie coral: this they always rested on am
inflated and were always of q reddish
,rown hue They lived In seeming har-
nony and when q violent storm broke In
he cover they did not care to leave ii. bu
emained there for some weeks after. Thei'
Walking power Is also considerable and on
he sea bottom no doubt they often ao-
roach the object OF their attack in this
manner. accommodating themselves to Ia
,.rious coIors surrounding them a. they