310 SEASIDE DIVINITY. 



upon one of its legs, but so great was its strength 

 that although he pressed upon it with consider- 

 able force it easily liberated itself. Determined 

 however to secure his prize as a remarkable speci- 

 men of its class he then seized one of the legs in 

 his hand, when the animal struggled with such 

 vigour that it seemed as if the limb would be 

 torn off in the contest. The animal in the mean 

 time held itself fast to the rock by its suckers, 

 and Mr. Beale gave it a sudden jerk to disengage 

 it. This seemed to excite it into fury, and after 

 successfully resisting the attempt it suddenly let 

 go its hold of the rock and sprung on its assail- 

 ant's arm, which was bare, and fixing itself by its 

 suckers endeavoured to attack him with its pow- 

 erful beak. The sensation of horror caused by 

 this unexpected assault may be readily imagined. 

 Mr. Beale states, that the cold and slimy grasp 

 of the ferocious animal induced a sensation ex- 

 tremely sickening, and he found it requisite to 

 call to the captain who was occupied in gather- 

 ing shells at a little distance. Mr. Beale, aided 

 by his friend, then made his way to the boat and 

 the poulpe was at last destroyed with the boat 

 knife, but it did not surrender till the limbs by 

 which it so tenaciously adhered were successively 

 cut off.. The body of this cephalopod was not 

 larger than a man's fist, but it measured four 

 feet across its extended arms. 



In the tropical seas the poulpe is said to arrive 

 at an enormous size. Mr. Pennant, on the autho- 

 rity of a friend long resident among the Indian 



