DEVIL FISHING. 43 



tions of thanksgiving to Providence from himself. The 

 line now slacked, and the devil-fish was obviously giving 

 out. He yielded freely to the hand, and, as the last scene 

 in the drama approached, the boats gathered around to 

 witness his expiring struggles. The line swayed, and up 

 he rose, his huge goggles peering out upon us, while his 

 antennae dangled heavily about, in token of the extremest 

 exhaustion. One more effort at escape followed ; but it 

 was too late the lances were ready, and soon consum- 

 mated the work of death ; after which, we all joined in 

 merry procession toward the shore. We drew the devil- 

 fish on the sands, and found him, on measurement, to be 

 fifteen feet in width." 



Here, then, we have captured our devil-fish. 

 He lies stranded on the beach of Hilton Head 

 Island, at the foot of the Queen's Oak. This 

 monster, whose existence even was doubted whose 

 capture was matter of vague tradition who had not 

 been seen and touched by the two preceding genera- 

 tions of men, to say the least was here before us in 

 his proper proportions, palpable to sight, and trod- 

 den beneath our feet ! We congratulate each other 

 011 our success, and then betake ourselves to an 

 examination of what was curious or striking in his 

 conformation. We note with lively surprise his 

 protruding eyes, his projecting horns, his capacious 

 mouth, and his complicated machinery for respira- 



