DEVIL FISHING. 5 1 



been inevitably swept to sea, or have cut him loose to save 

 ourselves. Darkness, in the meantime, had set in. The 

 night was advancing, and we were yet almost stationary. 

 Our friends on shore, alarmed at our situation, set up 

 lights for us, which, owing to their dispersion, did more to 

 confound than guide us. The stars came out ; but 

 nothing seemed to break the general darkness, except the 

 agitation of the oars in the water, and the rolling of the 

 devil-fish, as he now and then emerged on a bed of fire to 

 the surface. At 9 o'clock, we ran aground upon a shoal, 

 which proved to be Egg Bank. We were now at a stand, 

 and a council was called. It was impossible to get the 

 devil-fish over the bank, for the tide was not high enough; 

 and the roar of the breakers behind us, added to the 

 rising of the wind, informed us too plainly that we could 

 not safely remain where we were. Perhaps the devil-fish 

 might be anchored : but no anchor was to be had ; no 

 buoy not even a barrel, by which he might be designated 

 the next morning. The resource left us was a hard one ; 

 but there was no choice we must abandon him we 

 could do no more. Before taking leave of him, however, 

 we drew him up into three feet water. 



" * Jacet ingens littore truncus 

 et sine nomine corpus.' 



" There he lay, extending twenty feet by the wings, 

 and his other parts in proportion ; and the waves rippling 

 in pearly heaps around his black form, which stood eight 



