132 ACCOUNT OF THE CAPTURE OF A SEA DEVIL. 



nomenon, which, though known to our ship's crew, was to me per- 

 fectly novel. 



An enormous flat fish, of the ray genus, came and swam round 

 our vessel. It differed from the common ray, however, in the shape 

 of its head, which, instead of being pointed, formed a crescent, and 

 from the extremities of the semicircle issued two arms, as it were, 

 which the sailors called horns. They were two feet wide at the 

 base, and only five inches at the extremity. This monster, they 

 told me, was called the sea devil. 



A few hours after we saw two others with this, one of which was 

 so extremely large, that it was computed by the crew to be fifty or 

 sixty feet wide. Each swam separately, and was surrounded by 

 those small fish which usually precede the shark, and which are 

 therefore called by seamen pilot fish 5 lastly, all three carried on 

 each of their horns a white fish, about the size of a man's arm, and 

 half a yard long, which appeared to be stationed there on duty. 



You would have said they were two sentinels placed to keep 

 watch for the safety of the animal, to inform him of any approach- 

 ing danger, and to guide his movements. If he approached too near 

 the vessel they quitted their posts, and swimming briskly before 

 led him away. If he rose too high above the water, they passed 

 backward and forward over his back, till he had descended deeper ; 

 if, on the contrary, he swam too low, they disappeared and we saw 

 no more of them, because, no doubt, they were passing underneath, 

 as in the preceding instance they had passed above him. Accord- 

 ingly we found him re-ascend towards the surface, and then the two 

 sentinels reassumed their posts, each on his horn. 



During the three days that the calm continued, and we remained 

 motionless for want of wind, these manoeuvres were many times 

 repeated before our eyes as to each of the three monsters. 



I was desirous of catching one of them, in order to examine it at 

 my leisure. But when I proposed it to the crew they treated it as 

 impossible. However, on my promising a dozen bottles of wine to 

 any one who should accomplish it, their ardour was roused ; and 

 the attempt, which was before deemed impracticable, was now only 

 difficult. 



They all ran to their harpoons, and posted themselves here and 

 there by the ship's side in readiness to strike. A sailor standing 

 near the bowsprit, more fortunate than the rest, struck one of these 

 fish on the back, then, letting out his line that he might have room 

 to beat about and tire himself, he at last towed him gradually to the 



