248 SPORT m NORTH AMERICA. 



it to vorait a large quantity of foam and blood, 

 mixed with a glutinous fluid which spread around a 

 strong odour of musk. After this, they managed to 

 get sufficiently near to throw a harpoon with a slip- 

 knot attached ; but the rope slid along the soft and 

 elastic body of the mollusk, and was only stopped 

 by the large swimming-fins. They then endeavoured 

 to hoist it on board ; but when the greater part of 

 the body had been got out of the water, the enor- 

 mous weight of the mass caused the ropes to cut 

 through the flesh, and the creature fell apart, the 

 hinder quarters only remaining in the slip-knot. 

 This was, with difficulty, got on board, and was 

 found to weigh about sixty pounds. Both the 

 officers and sailors of the Alecto begged to be allowed 

 to man a boat and attempt once more to bring the 

 creature alongside ; but the captain was afraid, lest 

 with its long and powerful arms it might succeed in 

 oversetting the boat and drowning some of the 

 men, and not thinking it right to expose the lives 

 of his crew merely to satisfy a sentiment of curiosity 

 (even although that sentiment had a scientific basis), 

 he gave up the chase, and soon lost sight of the 

 mutilated animal, which seemed to fly from the ship, 

 and to dive below the surface whenever they made 

 towards it. The pursuit of the creature lasted al- 

 together about three hours. 



I myself have frequently questioned the Canadian 

 fishermen on the subject of the Cephalopods, and 



