Trailing the Sea-Bat 



fish evidently threw their claspers about them and in 

 the violent struggles which ensued wrenched them 

 loose. 



The sportsmen made the attack in eight-oared 

 barges propelled by negroes, and when the strike was 

 made the barge rushed away toward the ocean, several 

 other boats being caught as they passed until the 

 fish was towing a procession of craft. The initial 

 fish measured twenty feet across, and from that time 

 on the exciting pastime became the sport above all 

 others of the Sound region. The catches were 

 marked by many sensational features. On one occa- 

 sion Mr. T. R. S. Elliott was the harpooner, and 

 when the fish was struck it cleared the water, strik- 

 ing the boat in the bow, sweeping away all the oars 

 on one side, and sending her astern so violently that 

 every man in the barge was thrown from his seat 

 and one or two severely crushed. The man at the 

 helm, James Cuthbert, was pitched headlong on to 

 the deck, while Mr. Elliott took a flying leap into 

 the air, landing upon the back of the struggling fish. 

 He was fortunately hauled aboard before the ray got 

 under way, and stood on the little deck, drenched, 

 and raised a cheer as the boat moved off behind the 

 wild steed. 



The legend heard in the Pacific that this fish envel- 

 ops its prey with its cloak-like wings may be traced to 

 the ancient authors, among whom Oppian writes, " It 

 is the broadest among fishes " (Eurotatos pantessin 



21 



