94 
strength of the animal, that in the course of four 
hours it had towed the retinue ten miles out ta sea. 
Wight was drawing on, and to bring the chase to a 
close another harpoon was struck, when the devil 
darting off, by one convulsive effort, broke loose 
from all fetters and carried away eight or ten har- 
poons and pikes, leaving every one staring in as- 
tonishment at an animal, that could thus snatch him-. 
self from the power of his pursuers. 
Lieutenant Lamont gives another detailed account 
of the take ofa Devil-fish more within the harboar, 
when the animal traversed up and down with tie 
Soats after him, towing the first boat whose harpoon 
took effect with such velocity, that those in company 
could not overtake it, The struggle this monster 
made to get away was tremendous ; plunging 
in the midst of the boats; darting from the bottom 
to the surface alternately ; dashing the water and 
foam on every side, and rolling round and round to 
extricate himself from the pole. Unable to effect 
his escape by these expedients; he set to, towing all 
the string of boats afier him, a feat he performed © 
with the greatest ease. He then suddenly brought 
the retinue to a stop by laying himself at the bottom 
of the water, from which the stretch and strain ot 
all the boats could not move him. Ejsticed inch py 
ineh to the surface by slackening the tension of the 
united fleet, he was finally brought up again, when 
a general assault of pikes and muskets was made 
-onhim. Literally riddled through with wounds, he 
floated clean up, ‘not as yet quite dead, Until this 
capture was cffected by Lieutenant St. John of the 
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