Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-28
New York Sun ]

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New York Sum-
If any one desires a dash of excite
meut | can recommend the fishing O.
Alaska" said returned Klondiker
Il had been fishing above Sitka whel
one day | found myself near a campo O
Indians. AS l had some game l divid.
ed with them, and forthwith was in
vted to a feast of their own providing
We sat around a big wooden dish, ir
which was something that looked like
frogs legs, but frogs so gigantic that
knew it was something else. 1t re-
CURED some courage to eat this dish
but hunger gives man stamina of g
certain kind. so | shut my eyes and
began the, feast. The article was not
so bad rs it appeared. 1T tasted like
crab. and some of it had the consist
ence of the rubber rings which babies
chew on. Altogether it was not to be
despised, combining food with exercise.
1T was a sea spider, so the natives
told me, a member of the cuttlefish
family. AS they We're going out on the
following morning to fish for more |
persuaded them to take me with them.
Half of the excitement of fishing here
WAS getting afloat. The bay was an
open roadstead into which the sea
rolled. and we We're some time getting
through the seas which, if not noun
tain high, came very near it. Finally
we made the run and dropped anchor
in the lee OF a little point of rocks
where we began fishing. Each man
had a different tackle, some large, some
small lines: and to me fell an outfit
which was a cross between a shark
and cod line. Presently the men be-
gan hauling in rock cod, using the lit
tie candleish for bait. There is a Gu
rious thing about Alaskans. This lit
tie fish, which they catch with a comb
like arrangement. they eat, if they are
so disposed; or, if they want a light,
they fasten a fish between two sticks
and light its head, when it will burn
like a candle. 1t is a famous country for
fish. and 1t was nothing but pull in for
the natives. While / did not have q bite.
My time was coming, however. l
had on a heavy sinker, so that every
tine the boat lifted | felt a sharp jerk,
which deceived me. But once, when
the boat rose on a big wave, my line
did not give and | shouted to the In
dian next to me that l was foul. He
took the line, gave Il tremendous jerk
and received one in return; then,
bracing himself back, he began to pull
and scream: then all hands screamed,
and l understood that a sea spider had
had the line and also the bottom. |
expected every minute to see the canoe
go over, as the men went from side
r.r
that the water poured in, now lifting
with a mighty yell, then stacking off
so suddenly that they fell in a heap.
Finally. after they had screamed them
selves out of breath and settled con-
ficts of opinion. they hauled the rope
as taut as possible. taking in the slack,
inch by inch, as the canoe sank in the
hollow of a wave, then holding on as
"a big ground swell would rise her.
This plan seemed certain either to
lift the bottom or sink the canoe, and
after several attempts to accomplish
abe latter something gave suddenly.
Amid the greatest excitement the men
quickly hauled away. The line came
up readily, the fishermen occasionally
looking over, endeavoring to see what
with a knife. while a companion held
ia rt-handled case knife between hi;
teeth-movements suggestive of the
coming of an enemy. Suddenly one of
the crew seized a sharp boathook.
which. after another look, he jabbed
into the unknown and invisible. In re-
Spouse a long, slender tentacle shot in
to the air and formed a weird interro-
cation point, then it grasped the pike;
then three more appeared, creeping in
sdiously over the edge of the canoe, at
which the natives struck wildly, some
shouting to slack the line, others to
haul in.
/ In the midst of the confusion the
sea spider concluded to come aboard.
Torn from the bottom it had come up
easily: then, seeing the canoe and pos
sibly thinking it a vantage ground, it
grasped 1t and slid over the side. a
mass of living, Shiny, reddish brown
snakes. When they were raised
could see rows of suckers, each OF
which was a veritable air pump, and
as there We're seemingly thousands OF
them. the sucking power of this spidel
| of the sea was apparent Blows Were
aimed at 1t whenever opportunity OF
fered. but the weird animal fairly slid
| over the rail. winding one of it's arms
around an oar. Its head or body hung
on the rail-a brown mass the size OF
a mans head-from which cleaned tive
lgreenish- yellow eyes. The strange ami
NAL changed color like a chameleon
| flushes of red, brown and gray followed
one another over it, while from its low
er portions oozed a stream of inl
| which splashed in our faces as the ten
| tacles flew about. s
| There was something so uncanns
about the creature that l confess il
| demoraliZed me: but the natives, WHIT
probably had caught great numbers
struck al it, right and left. cutting of
the tentacles with their knives ant
hatchets. trying to save such portions