There is a singular genus of animals, called _Sepia_, of which the
cuttle-fish is a familiar example. Some of them are of great size,
having arms nearly thirty feet in length. We are told of a Sardinian
captain, who, while bathing, felt one of his feet in the grasp of a
squid; he instantly tried to disengage himself with his other foot, but
this limb was immediately seized by another of the monster's arms. He
then with his hands endeavored to free himself, but these also, in
succession, were firmly grasped by the creature, and the poor man was
shortly after found drowned, with all his limbs strongly bound together
by the arms and legs of the fish; and it is extraordinary that, where
this happened, the water was scarcely four feet deep.
Mr. Beale gives us the following narrative: "While upon the Bonni
Islands, searching for shells, I one day saw, towards the surf, a most
extraordinary-looking animal, crawling upon the beach. It was creeping
on eight soft and flexible legs, and, on seeing me, made every effort
to escape. To prevent this, I pressed one of its legs with my foot; but
it quickly liberated the member. I then laid hold of it with my hand,
and gave it a powerful jerk, which it resisted by clinging with its
suckers to the rock; but the moment after, the apparently enraged
animal let go its hold, and sprang upon my arm, which I had previously
bared to the shoulder, and clinging to it with great force, endeavored
to get its beak between its arms in a position to bite.
"A sensation of horror pervaded my whole frame. Its cold, slimy grasp
was extremely sickening, and I immediately called to the captain, who
accompanied me, and who was at a little distance, to come and release
me from my disgusting assailant. He came and set me free, by cutting my
tormentor apart with his boat-knife. It must have measured four feet
across its extended arms, while its body was not larger than a clinched
hand. This was of that species called by whalers 'rock squid.'"