Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-17

any object the tail with this project
ing dagger flashes around, and, pierre
ing the flesh of its victim, produces a
deep puncture, into which most VIZ
ulent poison is transmitted. The eff
feet of this poison is that the victim
is seized with violent spasms and mus
cular contraction, the body arched al
most rigidly the blood turns black and
death ensues within three to six min
utes.
HAVING beached the fish. our diff
L l. Guilty now was how TO kill 1t,
which was essential before the hook
could be removed from the mouth. A
large log of wood thrown up by the
sea seemed to offer an opportune
weapon Raising this on high, time
and. again we struck the reptilian-
like beast on the head, each time the
tail curling over.
Ultimately we solved the difficulty
by working a log of wood across the
tail, thereby preventing it's raising up.
and then with a long knife severed it
from the body, together with the poi
sonouS dagger. | was able in this way
to measure it. 1t weighed $50 pounds.
The vitality of this creature was
marvellous. After / had performed an
autopsy upon it and when completely
retained considerable signs of life.
On another occasion I impaled
large bait upon the hook and cast out
with the hope of christening a new
line with a record fish. The rod was
placed in the bottom of the boat with
the point over the side, and / com
menced to fill my pipe. when in the
midst of this most necessary opera
ton the reel started to revolve. Ny
nf full nil MI in
the bud. Raising the rod. l gently
felt the moving line, and, slowly APP
plying the brake, struck. But l might
just s well have driven my hook into
the bed of the ocean for all the give
felt
The run continued. Twirling the
screw, I applied tremendous pressure.
Suddenly the fish stopped. Then quite
Unexpectedly came violent rush that
nearly tore me out of my seat. Only
a miracle saved the dugout from turn
ing turtle. Luckily ! was gripping
the rod firmly with both hands, other
wise 1t must have disappeared.
] shouted to Griff1ths to get up the
mooring stone, and as soon as this
left the bottom we shot ahead in the
wake of the great fish. Putting every
ounce of strain on the line I dared. l
now let the hidden monster tow us.
L
Notwithstanding that only a ques-
ton of time and endurance would
finally conquer-and l reConciled my
self to a long-drawn-out battle.
BY now the fish had passed com
pletely through the channel and was
travelling along the bottom in the shall.
lower water between the reef and
shore, but. quickly changing it's tao
tics, with a wide circular movement
u in 10 40 ont,
to the open sea. shot through and
commenced TO travel down the coast.
keeping close to the outer side of the
reef.
Again it changed its tactics, this
time straight out toward the main
ocean, and it continued steadily in this
way for at least three miles.
Any attempt to play this leviathan
in the ordinary way was entirely out
of the question. All l could do was
to keep an equal pressure on the line
and guard against a possible rapid
doubling, or the other hundred-and
one eccentric movements usually en-
ployed by hooked fish.
by this time we were getting very
~ anxious. not knowing how far out
we might be towed. Remembering the
strong breeze which invariably start
ed up at midday, the outlook was far
from promising. | knew that if the
fight continued until the sea got up.
any chance of landing a monster of
this description in Choppy water. with
waves breaking over QUIZ little boat,
was infinitesimal. 1t was therefore
an immense relief when the fish slow
~ performed a large semi-circle and
commenced to travel toward shore.
BY now nearly two hours must have
passed and Griffiths, detaching the
leather belt round my waist, in the
center of which is fashioned a strong
pocket for taking the butt of the rod.
thus easing some of the strain, fast
ened it round his own middle, and
relieving me of the rod, carried on
the fight, while l sat in the stern
steering the dugout in the wake of
this seemingly ineXhaustible creature.
After the first wild dash 1t had con
tinued working close to the bottom
at a moderate pace Totally different
from the velocity of the shark. and
this now becoming perceptibly slow
err. I was reasonably certain by its
fighting tactics into what l had
struck.
We're into another huge ray" l
said.
II think it. Backra, him-big sea.
Back in toward the reef the fish
was still swimming. heading almost
straight for the channel wherein l had
originally hooked it, and on arriving
close once more it stopped. 1t was
exactly as if the line was fixed in the
coral. Neither jerking, pumping nor
iarrinE the line would apparently dis
lodge the brute. Had it not every now
and then moved foot or two. ]
should really have believed we were
nagged. But as it was il was quite
obvious the fish was sulking or rest
ing.
As matter of fact, | verify believe
it was the latter. for after remaining
like this for over half an hour it sud
denly charged once more, apparently
as full of vitality as ever, straight
through the opening in the reef into
the shallow water shorewards. For a
long time up and down, parallel with
the shore, slowly but persistently it
swan. Just before it's race through
the reef channel had taken over the
rod and now the strain, coupled with