Page:Natural History, Mollusca.djvu/74

These highly endowed and repulsive creatures are formidable even to man. We may pass by, until better authenticated, the stories told by old naturalists, of Cuttles inhabiting the Indian Seas, with tentacles as long and thick as a ship's mast, which they are said to throw over vessels and drag them under water. But Mr. Beale, who has so largely increased our knowledge of the Sperm Whale, recounts a sufficiently fearful rencontre which he had with a species of Octopus, while searching for shells upon the rocks at the Bonin Islands. He was much astonished at seeing at his feet a most extraordinary looking animal crawling towards the surf, which it had only just left. It was creeping on its eight legs, which, from their soft and flexible nature, bent considerably under the weight of its body; so that it was lifted by the efforts of its tentacula only a small distance from the rocks. It appeared much alarmed at seeing him, and made every effort to escape. Mr. Beale endeavoured to stop it by pressing on one of its legs with his foot; but although he used considerable force for that purpose, its strength was so great that it several times liberated its member, in spite of all the efforts he could employ on the wet and slippery rocks. He then laid hold of one of the tentacles with his hand, and held it firmly, so that the limb appeared as if it would be torn asunder by the united efforts of himself and the creature. He then gave it a powerful jerk, wishing to disengage it from the rocks, to which it clung so forcibly by its suckers. This effort it effectually resisted; but the moment after, the apparently enraged animal lifted its head with its large projecting eyes, and, loosing its hold of the rocks, suddenly sprang upon