. Denizens of the deep [microform]. Marine biology; Deep-sea animals; Deep-sea fishes; Biologie marine; Faune des grands fonds; Possions de grands fonds. 138 The Cuttle-fish or Squid a multitude of strpent-like arms talltT than the most- of the vessels, which embraced the ships and collected the crews until, with a lu^rrible whirling of the whole ocean, island and ships and men disappeared for ever. And he does not even explain to us whence he derived his information. This creature is undoubtedly the Kraken of old Norse le-<nds, sufficiently awe-ins[)iring in its supreme hidcousness and its
. Denizens of the deep [microform]. Marine biology; Deep-sea animals; Deep-sea fishes; Biologie marine; Faune des grands fonds; Possions de grands fonds. 138 The Cuttle-fish or Squid a multitude of strpent-like arms talltT than the most- of the vessels, which embraced the ships and collected the crews until, with a lu^rrible whirling of the whole ocean, island and ships and men disappeared for ever. And he does not even explain to us whence he derived his information. This creature is undoubtedly the Kraken of old Norse le-<nds, sufficiently awe-ins[)iring in its supreme hidcousness and its vast size to excuse the wildest tale told by a shuddering eye-witness of its prow, -- in those far-off days ; yes, even sufficiently terrible to account for its being considered tlie originating cause of the maelstrom off the Lofoden Islands, around which so many hair-raising tales have clustered. But what docs seem incomprehensible to me is that, after so many indisputable glimpses of the great Cuttle-fish during those early years, the exaggerations of the historians should have been able to cause such a revulsion of feeling as to make people disbelieve m the existence of such a creature at all. Yet that is exactly what happened, in spite of the fact that very many authentic records exist of appearances of the creature. It is true that at the same time many fables were current anent the appearance of the great sea- serpent, most of which were doubtless due to hurried glimpses of the gigantic Cuttle-fish in his conflict with a sperm whale. But why stories of the mythical sea-serpent should have been accepted, and accounts of the real mollusc have been rejected, it is impossible to say. It must, I suppose, remain a mystery. An added wonder comes from the fact that the American sperm whale fishery has existed for well over a century, and during the whole of that time every officer, to say nothing of the men, must have known vi the very real existence of the great Squid, since sc
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectmarineb, bookyear1904
