THE OCTOPUS. 197 



examining my new species, it turned out to be 

 only the sucking-disc of an octopus. 



Tyrants though they be, an enemy hunts them 

 with untiring pertinacity. The Indian looks 

 upon the octopus as an alderman does on turtle, 

 and devours it with equal gusto and relish, only 

 the savage roasts the glutinous carcase instead 

 of boiling it. His mode of catching octopi is 

 crafty in the extreme, for redskin well knows, 

 from past experience, that were the octopus once 

 to get some of its huge arms over the side of 

 the canoe, and at the same time a holdfast on the 

 wrack, it could as easily haul it over as a child 

 could upset a basket ; but he takes care not to give 

 a chance, and thus the Indian secures his prize. 



Paddling the canoe close to the rocks, and 

 quietly pushing aside the wrack, the savage peers 

 through the crystal water, until his practised 

 eye detects an octopus, with its great ropelike 

 arms stiffened, out, waiting patiently for food. 

 His spear is twelve feet long, armed at the end 

 with four pieces of hard wood, made harder by 

 being baked and charred in the fire : these project 

 about fourteen inches beyond the spear-haft, each 

 piece having a barb on one side, and are arranged 

 in a circle round the spear-end, and lashed firmly 

 on with cedar-bark. Having spied out the 



