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The Monsters of the Deef: Alecto
KRINGLON December, 1861, said Berthelot, the steam computed at about 4,400 pounds. Its despatch-boat Alecto, commanded by fins, situated at its posterior extremity, Lieutenant Bouyer, dropped anchor in were rounded into fleshy lobes of a very our roads on her voyage to Cayenne. great size.
This ship had encountered at sea, be- It was on the 30th of November, about tween Madeira and Teneriffe, a monstrous half an hour after noon, that the crew of polypus swimming at the surface of the the Alecto, described this terrible cepha water. This animal measured from six- lopod swimming along-side. The com teen to eighteen feet in length, without mander immediately stopped his vessel, must and despite the animal's dimensions, facts with which we have just been busy, manœuvred to catch him. A slipknot and the scientific value of the commenwas made ready; muskets were loaded, taries suggested by them, we and harpoons prepared, in all haste. But acknowledge that the story of the gigantic at the first balls fired the monster dived polypus, the subject of such marvellous underneath the vessel, quickly reappear- tales, is deficient neither in grandeur nor ing on the other side. Attacked anew poetry. It is undoubtedly of Danish or with the harpoons, and after receiving Norwegian origin, as is shown by the several discharges of musketry, he disap- completely northern sound of the name of peared twice or thrice, each time showing "kraken," bestowed upon the monster. himself a few moments afterwards at the According to the ancient legend, the surface, agitating his long arms. But the kraken is a foul, colossal beast, of shapeship continued to follow him, or rather less body, with arms as long as the checked her course according to the ani- longest serpent, and covered with inmal's movements. This chase lasted for numerable suckers. two or three hours.
Cut in Two.
A Marine Monster.
He does not content himself with attack- The captain of the Alecto grew anxious ing the other denizens of the ocean; he at all risks to capture this novel kind of lusts after the flesh and blood of man. It foe. Nevertheless, he durst not hazard the is especially at night and in the fury of lives of his sailors by lowering a boat, the tempests, that he rises from the botwhich this monster would have readily tom of the abyss to assail the unhappy capsized by seizing it with one of its voyagers overtaken by the whirlwind. It formidable arms. The harpoons aimed then embraces the masts and rigging at it penetrated its soft flesh, and flew with the gigantic arms, and endeavors back without inflicting any mortal injury. to drag down under the seething waters Several balls had hit it in vain. At the ship and all on board. The sole length it received a shot which seemed to means of escape is by severing its wound it seriously, for it immediately tentacles with blows of an axe; yet it vomited a great quantity of froth and is by no means certain that they will blood mixed with glutinous matter, which not grow again immediately, like the diffused a strong odor of musk. It was heads of the hydra. It is easy to at this crisis that the sailors contrived to understand the terror with which the catch it with the running knot, but the recital of the frightful exploits of such an rope glided along the creature's elastic enemy must formerly have inspired ignor. body, and only stopped when near the ant minds prone to superstitious fancies. extremity at the junction of the two fins. It has no shell, and no skeleton, but has They attempted to haul it aboard and two conical pieces of horny substances already the greater portion of its body imbedded in the back, one on each side. was clear of the water when its enormous The body, which has a globular form, is a weight drew the rope right through its soft, jelly-like substance, covered with a flesh, and separated the hinder portion thick, dark-colored, leathery skin. The from the remainder of the animal. Then arms or legs are eight in number, and are the monster fell back and disappeared. many feet in length. The animal moves Whatever may be the reality of the with its head either up or down; when it Whero windana