The daily morning Alaskan., 1904-01-10
HUNTING QUEER PREY
rcopvrlrbt. i912. -by c. B. Lewls.l


 6fty miles to the south of Ceylon, to capture if possible a living specimen of the octopus or deyil6sh for the Bonn bay museum. After arriving and an- chorlng the bark a safe distance from Che reefs we pulled in with the yawl to look for signs of the prey we were after. We had every reason to believe that be was "at home In a shallow cave at the base of a big rock but we had orders not to go too close,
 Next morning two boats approached the rocks from opposite sides, and Pro lessor Grlmshaw, who had charge Of the expedition. landed to make close Inspection. Our approach was made as silently as possible, and the professor removed his boots before landing There was DO danger of the octopus running away if be was there but we had some plans to lay in advance. Aft CT some spying about he was located in the cavern spoken of, and the professor was dlsmayed at the size of the crea- ture. He had counted five great tcnta- cles, and the bulk Of the octopus was that of a big barrel It was decided that It's feeding time would be about high water, and at low water it might come out to lie on the rocks or swim in the channel. It was for low water We waited. and before the tide had run cut we landed on the rock again and stretched two large fish nets across 1t and weighted them at the corners with stones to prevent their being carried away.
 In lbe channel we stretched other nets, and at dead low water we hauled on to see if anything would occur Something did. The octopus decided to take a little ramble, and hc cune down the channel toward our lo,.l.a. When he reached the net and found his progress checked he was furious in an instant and did just what we hoped he would jo. He seized 1t and began pulling and hauling, and in 8 minute or two he was an tangled up. For the next quarter of am hour we were treated to a rare exhibition No whale could have made the fuss that monster did In his struggles he threw water twenty feet high and for fifty feet around him. and now aud then he raised an arm high in the afr and swept 1t around him like a fal and with such a swish as a limb would make in the hands of a giant The net was of the strongest material and when be ceased to struggle we realized that he was pretty well tangled mp We could do nothing more toward his capture just then however as tha tide had turned and he rctreated to his lair, taking lhe nets with hm and making slow progress.
 At o'clock next morning we landed on the rocks and found the urts all right The professor had hrough, along a big squirt gun and a large jar of chloroform, and when all was ready we made a circuit to thc west and got as near as we dared to the cavern and then began rolling stones into it We had not been at work over five minutes when the octopus was routed out We first saw one long tentacle shoot out of the water and clutch the rock above, and then the creature slowly and lac boriously drew itself out
 The net had been bitten and broken ln many places. but sull tangled about him SO as to greatly hamper bis move ments. or the five arms only one w'as entirely free. The monster must have thought the attack was being made on hlm from above for he had no sooner caught sight oc the spread nets than be went for them in a furious way. He was, of course, still further tangled up, and the exhibition of the previous day was nothing to this.
 Nothing living could have broken clear of that tangIe, but we had a good Idea of the creatures strength by the way he snapped ropes and cords here and there. With one free teutacle he picked up and hurled into the sea a loose rock which two strong men could not have moved
 It was a quarter of an hour before the octopus was so entirely tangled in the nets that he could struggle no more. and we waited at least ten min utes before approaching him. Then the professor advanced with his squirt gun charged from the jar Of chloroform and its contents were shot full in the monsters face. In two minutes he lay as if dead, and we then got ropes and straps and made him secure. Now and then there was a shiver the full length of the tentacles and we had to stand back while the professor repeated the dose, but at no time did the octopus re- gain full consciousness. When an was ready we put blanks under Che body and slid it down into the water, and after a hard two hours work We got the mass aboard the bark and into box prepared in advance.
 Few people have ever seen fun grown devllash. as not above two or three have ever been on exhibition, and those came ashore dead and shrunken. The weight of this fellow was 51O pounds, and the stretch of each tentacle was over eighteen feet The size of the tentacles at their base was as large as the body of boy ten years ala and oooh rt-oe or5r,aT with n7nr 1O0