THE DEVIL FISH. How it Feels to be Caught by One of Them.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 196, 26 March 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE DEVIL FISH. How it Feels to be Caught by One of Them.

"We were lying about half a mile off the beach at the Barbadoea, overhauling the standing rigging," said James Gillis, able seaman, " when the mate ordered John Webb, an apprentice boy, and myself into the yawl, which had been covered and brought arouni to the port side, that some painting might be done juet abaft the mainmast. It waa a terribly hot day, with the water very warm and the rnon having very little energy. '!he paint was lowered do\\n to ua, and while 1 u*ed the brush the boy kept the yawl in position, We haa been at work for about a quarter of an hour when the boy suddenly y tiled out in affright, and as I turned to him ho declared that he had Been a horrible-looking object paes under the boat, and co on under the ship. There are plenty of strange creatures floating about iv these water?, and a patch of Beaweed will sometimes assume a cuiioua ehapa, I laughed ac the boy's feais, but at the same time saw how pale and irightened he looked. '• What's wanted below there?" called the mato as he leaned over tho rail, having heard Webbs cry of alarm. " l I — 1 saw something go under the boat, sir.' •• 'Oh, you did. Well, if you bawl out aguin you'll feel something go under your jacket.' '■ I began work apain, and had been at it only three or four minutes when the yawl heaved away from the ship two or three feet, and at the same instant the boy screamed again. Bis voice had scarcely reached my eara when something flashed beforo my eves, something caught my arm and pulled it down and pinned it fast to my body, and iv five seconds more I knew what had happened. A devil fish had flung one of his arms about me. Webb was screaming at the top of his voice, and, as I got a look at him, I saw that two of the beast's feelers were clutching him. The arm or feeltr which had reached me pinned my arm to my side as if in a vice, making a cleun wrap round my body, and the extreme end of the feeler crept up along my neck and face. Talk of .pain ; I never felt anything like it. The teeth of a bull-dog couldn't have hurt worse. It was a burning, biting, blistering s&nsation, as if a live coal had been laid on the flesh. I added my yells to those of Webb, but before anyone came to the rail I was jerked to my knees in the boat and saw that the creature's "object was to pull me overboard. I heard the boy go down and thrash about, and then three of tho men oame to our assistance. •'The devil fish had outwitted himself. He had gone under the ship and fastened to her bottom or keel, and as soon as he began pulling on us he of couree pulled the yawl close against the ship's side. That closed the gap, and he could not pull us overboard, although I think he would have upset the yawl, for we were both down on her starboard side and she was almost on her beam ends when the men jumped down. They began to cut and slash and | hack with their knives, and after two or three minutes they had ua free— not of the arms, but of the creature. We were hoisted on board howling and groaning, with the feelers still biting, and they had to be cut from us almofet by inches. Webb got it woree than I did, as he wore a thin cotton shirt and was barefooted. He was bitten on one foot, both bands,and across the breast, and it was a long two weeks before he was on deck again; his face swelled up until one eye was closed, and the poison made me ill for many days. Wherever one of the cupe or suckers took hold the skin was entirely taken off, an! it seemed as if pins had been stuck into the raw flesh, A native doctor brought me Borne herbs of which to make a poultice, and, although that relieved the pain and helped me to get around again, it was months before my face was entirely well. "The de\ii tish minded the loss of his three arms for only half an hour, at the end of which time he clutched the empty boat, half capsized her, and swam twice around the ship as a defiance to the crew. Two or three musket balls were fired into him, and he sank out of sight, to be seen no more during our stay." — "Now York Sun."

Truth is like public-house beer as it comes from the brewery— people don'fc care for it until it is fined down and made palatable. Most young men would rather be called a Bad dog, or even a rake, than be put down as a fool, no matter how virtuous,