366 SEA MONSTERS UNMASKED. 



have already mentioned as appertaining to the ink of many 

 of the cephalopoda, and also as being one of the reputed 

 attributes of the Kraken. Harpoons were thrust into it, 

 but would not hold in the yielding flesh ; and the animal 

 broke adrift from them, and, diving beneath the vessel, 

 came up on the other side. The crew wished to launch 

 a boat that they might attack it at closer quarters, but the 

 commander forbade this, not feeling justified in risking the 

 lives of his men. A rope with a running knot was, however, 

 slipped over it, and held fast at the junction of the broad 

 caudal fin ; but when an attempt was made to hoist it on 

 deck the enormous weight caused the rope to cut through 

 the flesh, and all but the hinder part of the body fell back into 

 the sea and disappeared. M. Berthelot, the French consul at 

 TenerifTe, saw the fin and posterior portion of the animal on 

 board the Alecton ten days afterwards, and sent a report 

 of the occurrence to the Paris Academy of Sciences. The 

 body of this great squid, which, like Rang's specimen, was 

 of a deep-red colour, was estimated to have been from 

 1 6 feet to 1 8 feet long, without reckoning the length of its 

 formidable arms.* 



These are statements made by men who, by their intelli- 

 gence, character, and position, are entitled to respect and 

 credence ; and whose evidence would be accepted without 

 question or hesitation in any court of law. There is, more- 

 over, a remarkable coincidence of particulars in their several 

 accounts, which gives great importance to their combined 

 testimony. 



But, fortunately, we are not left dependent on docu- 

 mentary evidence alone, nor with the option of accepting 

 or rejecting, as caprice or prejudice may prompt us, the 



* In the accompanying illustration, the size of the squid is exagge- 

 rated, but not so much as has been supposed. 



