52 DEVIL FISHING. 



feet in diameter above the water. We cut out our har- 

 poons, pushed our boats through a neighboring swash, 

 and, in a few moments, found ourselves surrounded by the 



welcoming eyes of beauty. 



" R." 



It is not to be inferred, from the concluding pas- 

 sage of the narrative just quoted, that the fish was 

 eight feet in depth but merely that, grounding in 

 three feet water, such was his depth that a portion 

 of his back, equal to eight feet in diameter, was 

 still left above water. I know not that I ever wit- 

 nessed anything more strikingly picturesque, than 

 the appearance of the devil-fish just before he 

 stranded. The night was dark the sea brilliantly 

 luminous the breakers were roaring a short dis- 

 tance from us, and the ground-swell that at inter- 

 vals lifted us up, admonished us that we were in 

 shoal water. Looking behind us we beheld the 

 devil-fish, which we had in tow, mounted upon the 

 crest of an advancing wave. His wings outspread 

 his dark outline distinctly marked, and sepa- 

 rated, from the surrounding waters by a " starry 

 belt " of phosphoric fire he seemed to our excited 

 imaginations like some monster vampire, hovering 

 above our heads, and threatening to crush us be- 

 neath his wings ! There was scarcely time for ap- 

 prehension, however, before he grounded, and that 



