DEVIL FISHING. 69 



tered a while on the beach, when, just as we were 

 making ready to get on board, a shoal of devil-fish 

 came sweeping along the beach, travelling rapidly 

 downward with the tide, and showing themselves 

 more freely than any I had seen, this year. I 

 pushed at one that showed his back fairly above 

 water, as he swam ; but he sank just before I 

 reached him, and I drove down the harpoon at a 

 venture. He had a narrow escape, for the staff 

 struck him. At this moment, three showed them- 

 selves below and one above. I pushed for the 

 latter, and when I approached the spot, I saw the 

 water boiling up like a caldron from which sign 

 I knew that the fish was throwing his somersets 

 below the surface (in the way which is so very 

 peculiar to them). Making the oarsmen check the 

 headway with their oars, I looked anxiously for a 

 view, when, unexpectedly, I saw the white of his 

 belly far beneath the water, and quite away to- 

 ward the stern. He was thus behind me, but 

 wheeling suddenly to the right, I pitched the har- 

 poon at him, across the oars, and felt a sensation 

 of surprise, as well as pleasure, in finding that I 

 had struck him. The fish dashed out violently for 

 the channel, and we payed him out thirty fathoms 

 of rope, until, headway being given to the boat, 

 we brought him to a dead pull : and now his mo- 



