[Contents]THE GIANT DEVIL FISH[119]Two days after leaving Tagus we were cruising around along the shores of Narborough Island, trawling with the nets.Two or three skiffs were near shore, some diving, some fishing and others dynamiting. Mother and Doctor Cady were trolling for big fish and suddenly Mother had a terrific hard pull, and for half an hour she had to “play” a tuna. It was 46 inches long, and weighed 46 pounds.Soon after they saw a great long fin moving slowly along and when they came near found a big flat fish like a skate, slowly skimming just below the surface so that only his two fins came above the water. They followed him around and actually herded him over towards Bill and Dwight in another boat.[120]Next morning Don and Dwight and Doc went out to find one with two harpoons, plenty of rope and two kegs. They cruised around a little and soon saw a big ripple on the water, a ray going along with his fins sticking up in the air twenty inches.The 46-Pound Tuna.The 46-Pound Tuna.They struck with their harpoons and after a greatsplashthe big ray just sank out of sight and pulled the rope and two kegs right down with him. They waited a long time and watched for him to rise, but when we came along in the launchPawneewe said we would stay to look while they went to the ship for another harpooning outfit. We chased another big ray for almost half a mile before the others came back.Dwight took first shot, but the harpoon soon pulled out, and the big fish went sailing along the surface again. Then Don took a shot which held and he played out the rope, holding on to the end so that the ray had to tow the boat.[121]Meanwhile Bill had come along in another skiff to see the excitement. Bill gave them a second harpoon which Dwight stuck in and then the fish towed the two boats for a time, every once in a while flipping up its tail and hunching its back to try to sweep off the ropes and harpoons.Gradually it swam back towards the ship and the men started their engine and forced it over that way. When it was quite near, we hurried to the boat to get the movie camera for Shorty, and I brought Dwight’s revolver to him. He shot it five times with a thirty-eight, and Bill put in five loads of heavy buck shot. Then it seemed to make a great effort and tried to swim down deep. Don held it with all his strength and would not let it go straight down. It flipped its wing and hit Don right across the shoulder and head twice but he never let go. Then it tried to spill over the boat by getting right under it. But finally they towed it near enough for the sailors to[122]throw a rope down and get a line over it.The 18-foot Devil-Fish on the Deck of the Arcturus.The 18-foot Devil-Fish on the Deck of theArcturus.It had been bleeding pretty heavily and there was a big trail of blood all the way to the shore, and some sharks were following this up.It measured eighteen feet across from wing to wing and weighed 2400 pounds. And after they started dissecting it they found an unborn ray that weighed 28 pounds and made a perfect specimen to preserve and take back to the New York Zoological Society.[123]
[Contents]THE GIANT DEVIL FISH[119]Two days after leaving Tagus we were cruising around along the shores of Narborough Island, trawling with the nets.Two or three skiffs were near shore, some diving, some fishing and others dynamiting. Mother and Doctor Cady were trolling for big fish and suddenly Mother had a terrific hard pull, and for half an hour she had to “play” a tuna. It was 46 inches long, and weighed 46 pounds.Soon after they saw a great long fin moving slowly along and when they came near found a big flat fish like a skate, slowly skimming just below the surface so that only his two fins came above the water. They followed him around and actually herded him over towards Bill and Dwight in another boat.[120]Next morning Don and Dwight and Doc went out to find one with two harpoons, plenty of rope and two kegs. They cruised around a little and soon saw a big ripple on the water, a ray going along with his fins sticking up in the air twenty inches.The 46-Pound Tuna.The 46-Pound Tuna.They struck with their harpoons and after a greatsplashthe big ray just sank out of sight and pulled the rope and two kegs right down with him. They waited a long time and watched for him to rise, but when we came along in the launchPawneewe said we would stay to look while they went to the ship for another harpooning outfit. We chased another big ray for almost half a mile before the others came back.Dwight took first shot, but the harpoon soon pulled out, and the big fish went sailing along the surface again. Then Don took a shot which held and he played out the rope, holding on to the end so that the ray had to tow the boat.[121]Meanwhile Bill had come along in another skiff to see the excitement. Bill gave them a second harpoon which Dwight stuck in and then the fish towed the two boats for a time, every once in a while flipping up its tail and hunching its back to try to sweep off the ropes and harpoons.Gradually it swam back towards the ship and the men started their engine and forced it over that way. When it was quite near, we hurried to the boat to get the movie camera for Shorty, and I brought Dwight’s revolver to him. He shot it five times with a thirty-eight, and Bill put in five loads of heavy buck shot. Then it seemed to make a great effort and tried to swim down deep. Don held it with all his strength and would not let it go straight down. It flipped its wing and hit Don right across the shoulder and head twice but he never let go. Then it tried to spill over the boat by getting right under it. But finally they towed it near enough for the sailors to[122]throw a rope down and get a line over it.The 18-foot Devil-Fish on the Deck of the Arcturus.The 18-foot Devil-Fish on the Deck of theArcturus.It had been bleeding pretty heavily and there was a big trail of blood all the way to the shore, and some sharks were following this up.It measured eighteen feet across from wing to wing and weighed 2400 pounds. And after they started dissecting it they found an unborn ray that weighed 28 pounds and made a perfect specimen to preserve and take back to the New York Zoological Society.[123]
THE GIANT DEVIL FISH
[119]Two days after leaving Tagus we were cruising around along the shores of Narborough Island, trawling with the nets.Two or three skiffs were near shore, some diving, some fishing and others dynamiting. Mother and Doctor Cady were trolling for big fish and suddenly Mother had a terrific hard pull, and for half an hour she had to “play” a tuna. It was 46 inches long, and weighed 46 pounds.Soon after they saw a great long fin moving slowly along and when they came near found a big flat fish like a skate, slowly skimming just below the surface so that only his two fins came above the water. They followed him around and actually herded him over towards Bill and Dwight in another boat.[120]Next morning Don and Dwight and Doc went out to find one with two harpoons, plenty of rope and two kegs. They cruised around a little and soon saw a big ripple on the water, a ray going along with his fins sticking up in the air twenty inches.The 46-Pound Tuna.The 46-Pound Tuna.They struck with their harpoons and after a greatsplashthe big ray just sank out of sight and pulled the rope and two kegs right down with him. They waited a long time and watched for him to rise, but when we came along in the launchPawneewe said we would stay to look while they went to the ship for another harpooning outfit. We chased another big ray for almost half a mile before the others came back.Dwight took first shot, but the harpoon soon pulled out, and the big fish went sailing along the surface again. Then Don took a shot which held and he played out the rope, holding on to the end so that the ray had to tow the boat.[121]Meanwhile Bill had come along in another skiff to see the excitement. Bill gave them a second harpoon which Dwight stuck in and then the fish towed the two boats for a time, every once in a while flipping up its tail and hunching its back to try to sweep off the ropes and harpoons.Gradually it swam back towards the ship and the men started their engine and forced it over that way. When it was quite near, we hurried to the boat to get the movie camera for Shorty, and I brought Dwight’s revolver to him. He shot it five times with a thirty-eight, and Bill put in five loads of heavy buck shot. Then it seemed to make a great effort and tried to swim down deep. Don held it with all his strength and would not let it go straight down. It flipped its wing and hit Don right across the shoulder and head twice but he never let go. Then it tried to spill over the boat by getting right under it. But finally they towed it near enough for the sailors to[122]throw a rope down and get a line over it.The 18-foot Devil-Fish on the Deck of the Arcturus.The 18-foot Devil-Fish on the Deck of theArcturus.It had been bleeding pretty heavily and there was a big trail of blood all the way to the shore, and some sharks were following this up.It measured eighteen feet across from wing to wing and weighed 2400 pounds. And after they started dissecting it they found an unborn ray that weighed 28 pounds and made a perfect specimen to preserve and take back to the New York Zoological Society.[123]
[119]
Two days after leaving Tagus we were cruising around along the shores of Narborough Island, trawling with the nets.
Two or three skiffs were near shore, some diving, some fishing and others dynamiting. Mother and Doctor Cady were trolling for big fish and suddenly Mother had a terrific hard pull, and for half an hour she had to “play” a tuna. It was 46 inches long, and weighed 46 pounds.
Soon after they saw a great long fin moving slowly along and when they came near found a big flat fish like a skate, slowly skimming just below the surface so that only his two fins came above the water. They followed him around and actually herded him over towards Bill and Dwight in another boat.[120]
Next morning Don and Dwight and Doc went out to find one with two harpoons, plenty of rope and two kegs. They cruised around a little and soon saw a big ripple on the water, a ray going along with his fins sticking up in the air twenty inches.
The 46-Pound Tuna.The 46-Pound Tuna.
The 46-Pound Tuna.
They struck with their harpoons and after a greatsplashthe big ray just sank out of sight and pulled the rope and two kegs right down with him. They waited a long time and watched for him to rise, but when we came along in the launchPawneewe said we would stay to look while they went to the ship for another harpooning outfit. We chased another big ray for almost half a mile before the others came back.
Dwight took first shot, but the harpoon soon pulled out, and the big fish went sailing along the surface again. Then Don took a shot which held and he played out the rope, holding on to the end so that the ray had to tow the boat.[121]
Meanwhile Bill had come along in another skiff to see the excitement. Bill gave them a second harpoon which Dwight stuck in and then the fish towed the two boats for a time, every once in a while flipping up its tail and hunching its back to try to sweep off the ropes and harpoons.
Gradually it swam back towards the ship and the men started their engine and forced it over that way. When it was quite near, we hurried to the boat to get the movie camera for Shorty, and I brought Dwight’s revolver to him. He shot it five times with a thirty-eight, and Bill put in five loads of heavy buck shot. Then it seemed to make a great effort and tried to swim down deep. Don held it with all his strength and would not let it go straight down. It flipped its wing and hit Don right across the shoulder and head twice but he never let go. Then it tried to spill over the boat by getting right under it. But finally they towed it near enough for the sailors to[122]throw a rope down and get a line over it.
The 18-foot Devil-Fish on the Deck of the Arcturus.The 18-foot Devil-Fish on the Deck of theArcturus.
The 18-foot Devil-Fish on the Deck of theArcturus.
It had been bleeding pretty heavily and there was a big trail of blood all the way to the shore, and some sharks were following this up.
It measured eighteen feet across from wing to wing and weighed 2400 pounds. And after they started dissecting it they found an unborn ray that weighed 28 pounds and made a perfect specimen to preserve and take back to the New York Zoological Society.
[123]