THE KRAKEN. 361 



us * that the natives of Aitutaki, in the Hervey group, have 

 a legend of a famous explorer, named Rata, who built a 

 double canoe, decked and rigged it, and then started off in 

 quest of adventures. At the prow was stationed the daunt- 

 less Nganaoa, armed with a long spear and ready to slay 

 all monsters. One day when speeding pleasantly over the 

 ocean, the voice of the ever vigilant Nganaoa was heard : 

 " O Rata ! yonder is a terrible enemy starting up from 

 ocean depths." It proved to be an octopus (query, squid ?) 

 of extraordinary dimensions. Its huge tentacles encircled 

 the vessel in their embrace, threatening its instant destruc- 

 tion. At this critical moment Nganaoa seized his spear, and 

 fearlessly drove it through the head of the creature. The 

 tentacles slowly relaxed, and the dead monster floated off 

 on the surface of the ocean. 



Passing from the early records of the appearance of 

 cuttles of unusual size, and the current as well as 

 the traditional belief in their existence by the inhabitants 

 of many countries, let us take the testimony of travellers 

 and naturalists who have a right to be regarded as com- 

 petent observers. In so doing we must bear in mind that 

 until Professor Owen propounded the very clear and con- 

 venient classification now universally adopted, the squids, 

 as well as the eight-footed Octopidcz, were all grouped 

 under the title of Sepia, 



Pernetty, describing a voyage made by him in the years 

 1763-4,1 mentions gigantic cuttles met with in the Southern 

 Seas. 



Shortly afterwards, during the first week in March, 1769, 

 Banks and Solander, the scientific fellow-voyagers with 

 Lieutenant Cook (afterwards the celebrated Captain Cook), 



* Leisure Hour, October, 1875, p. 636. 

 f Voyage aux lies Malouines. 



