Trailing the Sea-Bat 



to kill a large fish, which he had harpooned and run 

 down, with a knife, felt his arm seized and held so 

 securely that it became numb. He called to the men 

 to hold the fish at all hazards; but it is obvious that 

 if the animal which they had just hauled to the boat 

 had made a rush and broken the harpoon or rope 

 the sportsman would have been carried off in its 

 embrace. 



That so enormous an animal can leap so easily and 

 so high is remarkable, and I believe that this is a 

 common pastime, as in later attempts to follow the 

 fishes at night, I frequently heard the resounding 

 crash that told of the , return. The ray which I 

 struck seemed to clear the water three feet, but Chief 

 said that he had seen them jump five feet, while 

 Mr. Elliott, already quoted, states that he has seen 

 them bound ten feet into the air. 



On the outer reef this fish was considered a dan- 

 gerous animal, and was never followed. Some years 

 previous an attempt had been made to catch one 

 which fouled a vessel's cable. The fish became 

 impaled on the anchor, and when brought up broke 

 away. It was then harpooned, but escaped after 

 leaping partly on the boat, breaking the oars on 

 one side, and seriously injuring the crew, who were 

 crushed into the sinking craft. So the sea-vampire, 

 which was supposed to suffocate its victims with its 

 cloak-like wings, was dreaded, and that any one 

 should consider it sport to follow such a creature 



19 



