34 DEVIL FISHING. 



below Skull Creek, and lost him at two, near the 

 tail of Joyner's Bank, four miles below Bay Point. 

 His course was first northeast, then southeast, then 

 south by east. The direct run, taking no note of 

 his occasional deviations, was fifteen miles. He 

 was struck in the belly, from which it would appear 

 he was executing a somersault, when reached by 

 the harpoon. The harpoon must have passed 

 through to his back, or it could not have resisted 

 the tremendous pressure applied for three hours. 

 It entered probably not far from the insertion of 

 the tail, and passed out near the back bone, for the 

 rapidity of his motion was striking before he was 

 harpooned, but afterward he seemed to effect more 

 by gravity than by velocity. The entire fish was 

 at no time seen his size must be matter of conjec- 

 ture : fourteen feet across the back, I think no ex- 

 travagant calculation. How much gratified should 

 we be if he should float ashore and terminate these 

 conjectures, for we cannot doubt but that he has 

 been killed, though not captured. 



Our oarsman, injured in the affray, has been bled, 

 and is doing well so that nothing remains to mar 

 our satisfaction, but the loss of our fish. But stop, 

 Mr. Editor while I am penning this line, a devil-fish 

 is flouncing along the shore, under my very nose, as 

 if in bravado. By the ghost of Lignum vitce, I will 



