THE OCTOPUS IN AUSTRALIAN WATERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1194, 21 June 1884, Page 3

THE OCTOPUS IN AUSTRALIAN WATERS.

The Warruamhool Standard reports that a sensational encounter with nn octopus occurred at the Shelly Beach, Warrnainbnol, on Thursday afternoon, 10th ult. Several young Indies went out to have a dip in the ocean at this favorite resort <'or bathers, and had selected a convenient pool among the rocks. One of them, more adventurous than the others, plunged boldly in, and she suddenly uttered a shriek. On turning to see what was the matter, her companions were startled to find her leaping out of the pool, and the next moment she was lying affrighted and breathless on the rocks beside them. Looking in the water they saw the two gleaming eyes, surrounded by the tremulous tentacles, resembling a mass of boating sea-weed, of an octopus. The monster appeared to he about live feet in circumference. It extended one of its long sinuous arms to lay hold of the bather, but she fortunately

observed her danger iu time, and escaped. One of the tentacles had actu illy touched her, but fright accelerated her movements, and she was soon beyond the reach of the monster. After recovering from their fright, the ladies proceeded to throw pieces of rock at the octopus, but without any effect, and to their surprise and alarm it even followed their movements round the pool. Subsequently, however, it swam out to sea. When moving through the water its long arms streamed behind it, bat when motionless those floated passively in the water, and except for the glaring eyes, it would have been difficult to distinguish it from the kelp, which it much resembled in color.

A similar experience had occurred some time previous to a gentleman on a shellgathering expedition in the neighborhood of Warrnambool. He had prof routed his researches with tolerable success, and prior to returning, he was induced to take a dip in one of the many dark and silent pools of salt water which remained trapped after each receding tide. Divested of hia clothing, in lie plunged, and shaking the gleaming crystals from his manly brow, as he re-appeared, he struck away to explore a grotto-like opening in the rock, which he observed on the opposite side of the pool. He penetrated the cavernous aperture, but no sooner did he attempt to regain his footing than he felt himself seized by the left leg. Thinking it was a loop of seaweed lie shook himself, and repeated the process with some violence, but he found his action resisted, and the next moment he was prone on the floor of the cave. No sooner was he down than both legs were entangled, and sitting waist-deep in the water he saw, to his intense horror, the spreading arms of an octopus, and quickly felt the sucking tentacles on his unprotected limbs. In another moment the head of the repulsive monster was seen dimly ' through a surrounding murky fluid- Its parrot-leak touched the breast of the adventurous swimmer before the real gravity of the situation vvas experienced. Idealising his peril, the bold explorer tore witli fierce energy at the manifold strips of slimy flesh which were darting forth to enfold him. The struggle was a long one, but at length the now horror-stricken man had the gratification of seeing some of the long arms of his foe paralysed and drop from his nervous grasp. With a vigorous wrench he managed to free himself, bleeding, breathless, and well nigh beaten in his terrible battle with the sea monster, and, regaining the upper earth, he lost no time in making his way to the opposite shore, well assured of having escaped a deadly peril.