AN IMMENSE CUTTLE-FISH.

Evening Star, Issue 3916, 11 September 1875, Page 3

AN IMMENSE CUTTLE-FISH.

Frank Buckland. of ‘ Laud and Water,’ writes :—“ Mr Robert Hudson has been kind enough to send me an account of a large cuttle-fish captured off Boffin Island. The crew of a curragh, consisting of three men, dropped in for a strange adventure north-west of Boffin Island. Having shot their spiUits in the morning, the curragh observed a great floating mass to seaward; they pulled out, believing it to be a wreck, but to their great astonishment found it to be a cuttle, perfect in shape, but of enormous proportions. It lay perfectly still. What rarely enough occurs, there was no gaff or spare rope, and a knife was the only weapon aboard. The cuttle fish is much prized as bait for coarse fish ; and, their wonder somewhat over, the crew resolved to have a limb of the stranger. Seeing the great weight of this, and knowing the crashing and holding powers of the class generally, open hostility could not be resorted to, and the fishermen shaped their tactics differently. Paddling up with caution, a single arm was suddenly seized and lopped off. The cuttle, hitherto at rest, became dangerously active now, and set out to sea at full speed in a cloud of spray, the immense sweeps plying in the rear and driving him through the waves at a wonderful late. The canoe shaped round immediately and gave chase, and was up again after three-quarters of a mile. Hanging in rear of the fish a single arm was attacked in turn, while it took all the skill of the men to keep out of the deadly clutch of the suckers. The battle continued so irregularly for two hours, and thus piecemeal, and by strategy, was direct conflict avoided, which could terminate but in one way. Five miles out in the main, in their crazy canvas craft, the bowman still slashed away, holding on boldly by the stranger, and steadily cutting down his powers. By tins time the prize was partially subdued, and the curragh closed in fairly with the monster. The polished sides of the canoe afforded slender means of grasp, and such as were safe of the ten great arms slashed round through air and water in most dangerous but unavailing fashion. The trunk of the fish lay alongside fully as long as the canoe, while in its extremity the mutilated animal emitted successive jets of fluid which darkened the sea for fathoms around. The head was now severed from the body, and this, which was unmanageable from its great weight, sank like lead. The remaining portions were stowed away and pulled ashore, to the utter amazement of the islanders. Of the portions of the mollusc taken ashore, two of the great arms are intact. They are evidently the shortest, but measure eight feet each, and, compressed at the base, measure fifteen inches. The tentacles attain in this specimen a length of five fathoms. The mouth, or mandible, is about the size of a quart jug, hooked with a beautifully fronded tongue. The head, devoid of all appendages, weighed about six stone, and the eyes were about fifteen inches in diameter.'*