THE ANGLER AND HI XTsM AX 69 



return to its native depths; its hide is three inches thick, 

 enabling it to withstand the most enormous water pres- 

 sure, a pressure almost inconceivable to man; its eyes, 

 which were small, have no lids and were never closed, indi- 

 cating that it lived at a depth where eyes were of no avail; 

 the creature is not classified in natural history, the genus 

 or species is unknown, and it is not only the most remark- 

 able zoological specimen, but the largest specimen of the 

 fish tribe known in history; every undertaking establish- 

 ment on the Florida East Coast from Jacksonville to Key 

 West gave up their entire supply of formaldehyde to pre- 

 serve the monster, and over nineteen barrels were used. 



This is the greatest deep-sea fishing story in existence, 

 and this sport, while dangerous, is indulged in by an ever 

 growing army of ardent fishermen, who like to match their 

 wits and energy against these great fishes of the sea. 



Many a page has been filled by the daring acts of the 

 .deep-sea fisherman, and much still remains to be written 

 upon the subject. Capt. Thompson has contributed one 

 of the most daring feats yet recorded, but who knows but 

 that some day, sooner or later, one of these FULL-GROWN 

 Deep Sea Mysteries will be forced to the surface by some 

 mishap and that some sportsman may tie on to him as 

 Capt. Thompson did. Then will the world be astounded as 

 never before. 



Tackle makers had better begin preparing for that 

 fateful day, and bend their wits to devising methods of 

 capture and tackle that will hold the monsters of the sea yet 

 undiscovered. 



Scientists had always claimed that the depths of the 

 sea was nothing but a dark desert, without inhabitants or 

 vegetation, but this theory has since been exploded. In 

 those days they only reasoned from speculations, to engage 

 in which they need not leave their comfortable studies, but 

 in our time it has been shown how deceptive such specula- 

 tions may be, and how necessary it is to examine nature 



