220 



THE AMERICAX MUSEUM JOURNAL 



the boat, and one behind us, while I 

 watched in front. 



We had run down the full length of 

 the coast of Captive Island and were 

 about a mile off the shore of Saniliel 

 Island and in front of Blind Pass, when 

 there came, suddenly and without warn- 

 ing, a most terrific shock, which threw 

 the four of us who were standing to oiu- 

 hands and knees for a fraction of a sec- 

 ond. The boat, which was rimning at 

 full speed, had met the head of a Mania, 

 rising to the surface and coming toward 

 us at moderate speed. The shock of 

 the collision was so great that it almost 

 stopped the headway of the boat, and its 

 bow was lifted more than a foot out of 

 the water; but our speed carried the 

 boat up over the high part of the back 

 of the Mania just as the two great black 

 fins were flung madly into the air, almost 

 meeting over our heads and deluging us 

 with many gallons of water. Then the 

 two fins crashed down on the surface of 

 the sea with a noise that could have been 

 heard for miles, and the Mania instantly 

 repeated the performance as I yelled 

 to the engineer, "Keep her going." 

 Just as the boat was sliding from the back 

 of the creature, another huge Mania 

 rushed up from below, striking full on 

 our port bow with sufficient force to spin 

 the boat around until its direction was 

 almost reversed. At one time all four 

 of the great black pectoral fins were 

 towering above us, and large quantities 

 of water were flung into the bout. First 

 the head and then the stern of the boat 

 was highest as it was pitched from side 

 to side, and then I laeard the chug, chug, 

 chug of the racing propeller blades as 

 they gashed the tip of the pectoral fin of 

 the first Mania. The engineer kept the 

 engine going at full speed, l)ut the pro- 

 peller blades were not catching the water 

 now, and for a short distance we were 

 carried upon the broad l)acks of the two 

 monster devils of the sea. 



I fully realized the danger, ss. did^ 

 every one of the men with me in that 

 little boat, but every man fillefl his place 

 perfectly and there was no outwani show 

 either of fear or excitement, for I had a 

 crew composed of men who show at their 

 best only in time of danger. Scarcely a 

 word was spoken until, in the midst of a 

 wild uphea^■al of the two madly fright- 

 ened Mania beneath us, the boat was 

 flimg from their backs and was turning 

 over, when I shouted, "High side!" 

 which order was instantly obeyed, two 

 of the men, except for an arm and a leg, 

 throwing themselves entirely out of the 

 boat. 



The boat struck head first and shipped 

 a lot of water over her bow, but we were 

 now clear of the two Mania, who raced 

 together on the surface for a short 

 distance. 



Almost in an instant the boat was 

 cleared of surplus water, harpoons and 

 ropes were rearranged, and we were in 

 pursuit of the two Mania, when suddenly 

 they went below. On looking around 

 I saw three specimens some distance 

 away, but all of them under thirteen 

 feet in width; then the first two came 

 in sight again, and after that we saw 

 them many times, for they were easily 

 recognized, being always together. The 

 first showed the bleeding fin tip which 

 had been cut by our propeller, and its 

 mate had lost about eight inches from 

 the tip of one of its fins in some former 

 encounter. 



These two Mania appeared to have 

 lost all fear of the boat and its occupants; 

 we were many times in touching distance 

 of them and they both passed under the 

 boat several times. The first was a 

 female, well above fifteen feet in width, 

 and I was al)out to attack it, when I saw, 

 nearly a mile away, the largest Mania 

 that I have ever seen. It was on the 

 surface so I ran the boat down to it, and 

 never have I wanted to kill any one thing 



