540 THE OCEAN WORLD. 



the water, and chasing their enemies, were objects at once appalling 

 and picturesque. In less than five minutes two horses were drowned. 

 An eel, more than five feet long, glided under one horse, discharged 

 its apparatus through its whole extent, attacking at once the heart, 

 the viscera, and the plexus of the nerves of the animal, probably 

 benumbing and finally drowning it. 



When the struggle had endured a quarter of an hour, the mules 

 and horses appeared less frightened, the manes became more erect, the 

 eyes expressed less terror, the eels shunned in place of attacking them, 

 at the same time approaching the bank, when they were easily taken by 

 throwing little harpoons at them attached to long cords, the harpoon, 

 sometimes hooking two at a time, being landed by means of the long 

 cord. They were drawn ashore without being able to communicate 

 any shock. 



Having landed the eels, they were transported to little pools dug in 

 the soil, and filled with fresh water; but such is the terror they 

 inspire, that none of the people of the country would release them 

 from the harpoon a task which the travellers had to perform them- 

 selves, and receive the first shock, which was not slight the most 

 energetic surpassing in force that communicated by a Leyden jar 

 completely charged. The gymnotus surpasses in size and strength all 

 the other electric fishes. Humboldt saw them five feet three inches 

 long. They vary in colour according to age, and the nature of the 

 muddy water in which they live. Beneath, the head is of a fine yellow 

 colour mixed with red ; the mouth is large, and furnished with small 

 teeth arranged in many rows. 



The gymnotus makes its shock felt in any part of its body which 

 is touched, but the excitement is greater when touched under the 

 belly, and in the pectoral fin. The gymnotus gives the most frightful 

 shocks without the least muscular movement in the fins, in the head, 

 or any other part of the body. The shock, indeed, depends upon the 

 will of the animal, and in this respect differs from a Leyden jar, which 

 is discharged by communicating with two opposite poles. It happens 

 sometimes that a gymnotus, seriously wounded, only gives a very 

 weak shock, but if, thinking it exhausted, it is touched fearlessly 

 and at once, its discharge is terrible. Indeed, the phenomena depend 

 so much upon the will of the animal, that, according to Yon Humboldt, 

 if it is touched by two metallic rods, the shock is communicated some- 



