62 CEPHALOPODA. 
These highly endowed and repulsive creatures 
are formidable even to man. We may pass by, 
until better authenticated, the stories told by old 
naturalists, of Cuttles inhabiting the Indian Seas, 
with tentacles as long and thick as a ship’s mast, 
which they are said to throw over vessels and drag 
them under water. But Mr. Beale, who has so 
largely increased our knowledge of the Sperm 
Whale, recountsa sufficiently fearfulrencontre which 
he had with a species of Octopus, while searching 
for shells upon the rocks at the Bonin Islands. 
He was much astonished at seeing at his feet a 
most extraordinary looking animal crawling towards 
the surf, which it had only just left. It was creeping 
on its eight legs, which, from their soft and flexible 
nature, bent considerably under the weight of its 
body; so that it was lifted by the efforts of its 
tentacula only a small distance from the rocks. It 
appeared much alarmed at seeing him, and made 
every effort to escape. Mr. Beale endeavoured to 
stop it by pressing on one of its legs with his foot; 
but although he used considerable force for that 
purpose, its strength was so great that it several 
times liberated its member, in spite of all the 
efforts he could employ on the wet and slippery 
rocks. He then laid hold of one of the tentacles 
with his hand, and held it firmly, so that the limb 
appeared as if it would be torn asunder by the 
united efforts of himself and the creature. He then 
gate it a powerful jerk, wishing to disengage it 
rom the rocks, to which it clung so forcibly by 
its suckers. This effort it effectually resisted ; but 
the moment after, the apparently enraged animal 
lifted its head with its large projecting eyes, and, 
loosing its hold of the rocks, suddenly sprang upon 
