284 EELS 



seen must be the first one taken, my companion poised his 

 capybara spear and drove it into the creature's body. The 

 detachable head promptly came off, and the spearman held 

 fast to the handle. 



Instantly the big Eel became a storm centre of the first 

 magnitude; and it writhed and struggled and thrashed about 

 until it struck against the handle of the spear. Mr. Jackson 

 received such a shock that he cried out from the pain of it, 

 and dropped the spear-handle, which floated on the water. 



But not for long. My friend recovered his spear-handle 

 and drew the fiercely struggling Eel within striking distance 

 of the canoe. ^Vllenever it struck the side of the boat, either 

 with head or tail, we were thrilled by a shock. At last, two 

 or three severe blows on the head, with the club used for 

 killing capybaras, seemed to settle matters and, against the 

 protests of Antonio, the creature was dragged aboard. 



To all appearances the Eel was dead; but a few moments 

 later when Antonio chanced to touch it with his bare foot, 

 at once he broke out in a torrent of anathemas upon all 

 'trembladors." As an experiment, I touched its head with 

 the tip of my finger, and instantly received a shock so severe 

 that my nerves tingled for an hour. A more vigorous appli- 

 cation of the capybara club finally killed the creature, and its 

 electric power died with it. 



This specimen measured 6 feet 4 inches in length, and I 

 believe that when delivered to advantage its electric power 

 was .sufficient to administer a severe shock to the largest 

 elephant. Woe to the crocodile or shark which attempts to 

 dine or sup at the expense of Gymno'tus elee'tricus! While 



