128 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I. 



But if these relations be disbelieved, it is too evident to 

 be doubted, that a Pike will devour a fish of his own kind 



several sorts of fish. About twelve mouths after, his lordship clraw'd the canal, 

 and found that this overgrown Pike had devoured all llie fish, except one large 

 Carp, that weighed between nine and ten pounds, aud thai was bitten in several 

 places. The Pike was then put into the canal again, together with abundance 

 of fish with him to feed upon, all which he devoured in less than a year's time; 

 and was observed by the gardener and workmen there, to take the ducks, and 

 other water-fowl, under water. Whereupon they .'hoi magpies and crows, and 

 threw them into the canal, which the Pike look before their eyes : of this they 

 acquainted their lord ; who, thereupon, ordered the slaughterman to (ling in 

 calves-bellies, chickens-guts, and such like garbage to him, to prey upon : but 

 being soon after neglected, he died, as supposed, for want of food. 



The following relation was inserted as an article of news in one of the Lon- 

 don Papers, d Jan. 1765. 



Extract qf a jMUrfrom Littleport, Dtc. 17. 



" About ten days ago, a large Pike was cughl in ihe river Ouse, which 

 weighed upwards of 28 pounds, and was sold to a gentleman in the neighbour- 

 hood fora guinea. As the cook-maid was gutting the fish, she found, to her 

 grtmt astonishment, a watch with a black ribbon and two steel seals annexed, in 

 the body of the Pike ; the gentleman's bntler, upon opening the watch, found 

 the maker's name, Thomas Cranefield, Burnham, Norfolk. Upon a strict en- 

 quiry, it appears, that the said watch was sold to a gentleman's servant, who 

 was unfortunately drowued about six weeks ago, in his way to Cambridge, 

 between this place and South-Ferry. The watch is siill in the possession of 

 Mr. John Roberts, at the Cross-Keys in Liltleport, for the inspection of the 

 public." 



And this in the same paper, the 25th of the same mouth and year. " On 

 Tuesday last, at Lillishall time-works, near Newport, a pool about nine yards 

 deep, which has not been fished for ages, was let off by means of level brought 

 up to drain the works, when an enormous Pike was found : he was drawn out 

 by a rope fastened round his head and gills, amidst hundreds of spectators, in 

 which service a great many men were employed : he weighed upwards of 170 

 pounds, and is thought to be the largest ever seen. Some time sgo, the clerk of 

 the parish was trollii.g in the above pool, when bis bait was seized by this furious 

 creature, which by a sudden jerk pulled him in, and doubtless would have 

 devoured him also, had he not, by wonderful agility and dexterous swimming, 

 escaped the dreadful jaw* of this voracious animal." 



In Dr. Plot's Hittory of Staffordshire, C46, are sundry relations of Pike of 

 great -magnitude; one in particular, caught in the Tliame, an ell and two inches 

 long. 



The following story, containing further evidence of the voracity of this fish, 

 wilh the addition of a pleasant circumstance, I met with in Fuller's Worthies, 

 Lincolnshire, page 14*. 



" A cub Fox drinking out of the river Arnus in Italy, had his head seized on 

 by a mighty Pike, so that neither could free themselves, but were ingrapplcd 

 together. In this contest, a young man runs into the water, takes them out 

 both alive, and carrieth them to the Duke of Florence, whose palace was hard 

 by. The porter would not admit him, without a promise of sharing his full half 

 in what the duke should give him ; to which he (hopeless otherwise of entrance) 

 condescended. The duke, highly affected with the rarity, was about giving him 

 a good reward, which the other refused, desiring his highness would appoint 

 one of his guard to give him an hundred lashes, that so his porter might have 

 fifty according to his composition. And here my intelligence leaveth me, how 

 much farther the jest was followed." 



