DEVIL FISHING. Of) 



desperate and unexpected runs made by the devil- 

 fish by the bleeding fin, which as I have elsewhere 

 described, the fish exhibited when drawn to the 

 surface and conclusively, by the actual assault of 

 the shark, on the surface, as once witnessed by 

 myself. "We had one day struck a fish, which, 

 resisting longer than usual, had carried us down 

 the harbor some five or six miles outside of land. 

 When we had mastered him, we set sail and 

 attempted to tow him to land. While thus engaged, 

 the fish, drawn close up under the stern, turned 

 over upon his back by the action of the boat, and 

 thus exposed to view his white belly, at the depth 

 of four or five feet below the surface. I was steer- 

 ing, but casting my eyes back to observe whether 

 the fish was so secured as to offer the minimum of 

 resistance in our towing process, I was startled to 

 perceive that a large shark was lying over the fish ; 

 his size and position being well defined, by the con- 

 trast of color. I called for another harpoon, but none 

 other was rigged at the moment ; so striking at him 

 with a spear, he made his retreat; and when we 

 landed the devil-fish, I was surprised to find that, 

 short as the time apparently was, during which 

 he had occiipied the position in which I saw 

 Mm, he had contrived, nevertheless, to cut out 

 from the soft and yielding belly of the fish, a piece 



