DEVIL FISHING. 71 



drawing solely on this, so that the resistance of the 

 fish through the water should be as small as practi- 

 cable. The wind was now due east, and mode 

 rately fresh ; we raised both sails, and, helped at 

 the same time by the oars, made some way in our 

 tedious progress of towing our prize to land. At 

 this time, espied a boat beating down from Beau- 

 fort, and on signalizing her, she proved to be that 

 of Col. De Treville, then on his way to Eay Point. 

 His offer of assistance was accepted, and a tow line 

 being passed to his boat, we landed our fish at the 

 Point exactly at sunset. This fish measured six- 

 teen feet across, which I suppose to be the medium 

 size of those that visit our waters. The first har- 

 poon had struck it near the centre of the belly 

 had pierced the liver, and passed nearly through to 

 the back. The second had passed from the back 

 into his lungs or gills so that the full power of so 

 large a fish was never fairly exerted against us. 

 Had the same fish been struck in the wings, or 

 other parts not vital, his capture would have been 

 uncertain, and would at any rate have cost us the 

 work of many hours. 



I suppose the shoal of devil-fish was a large one ; 

 the third which appeared we struck at the fourth 

 we harpooned and as we were rapidly drawing 

 off from the shore, a fifth was seen. How many 



