102 DEVIL FISHING. 



sting-ray ; rbut I do not believe that it is ever found 

 in this iisii-^in which opinion I am confirmed by 

 ' reraaiidng, 'thai the young devil-fish- calf, to be 

 seen at Venuchi's exhibition-room. King-street, 

 Charleston, is without a spine. 



The story of their using their feelers as instru- 

 ments of prehension, and drawing vessels about the 

 harbor, is very like that given by Catesby (vol. i. 

 page 32) ; the only difference is, that in one case it 

 was a sloop, in the other a schooner. They were 

 probably both true. The same thing happened 

 about fifteen years ago, in one of the inlets on the 

 coast of Georgia. A trading vessel lay at anchor, 

 and, while her crew were on shore, one of these fish 

 seized the cable and dragged her off, anchor and all, 

 to the consternation of the sailors, who pursued their 

 retreating bark for some miles in their boat, and 

 regained her, when the devil-fish had contrived, 

 or seen fit, to disengage himself from his prize. 



I have often listened, when a boy, to the story of 

 an old family servant, quite a respectable negro, 

 whose testimony I have no reason to discredit, and 

 which would seem to corroborate the instances 

 already cited. He was fishing near the Hilton 

 Head beach, for sharks ; and, accompanied by ano- 

 ther hand, was anchored about fifty yards from 

 shore, in a four-oared boat, when a devil-fish seized 



