1955-02-12 — Page 8

Page

THE CHINA · MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY

12, 1955.

HIDDEN MYSTERIES OF

THE UNDERSEA JUNGLE

HROUGH the

haze

T

blue

silent of the

underwater world

there moves living

nightmare.

The creature is sucking water into

20

pocket beneath

bladder-like

its flabby

stomach and throwing jt

out. again.

itself in bounds.

Thus it propeis jerky, sluggish

Eight tapering tentacles covered with suckers the size of tracups wave

weave

grotesquely

AN

though Trying to Krope through some invisibe bar- rier. It is an octopus!

No other creature on land or

to the sea is quite so repulsive, th the embodiment

▪

eval

141

4/

That

the conlum s octopus huis been used by story tellers to represent the ultimate in hotkun And, as a result,

ultitude of legends -most of them impresibly marcaente. hive been buff up arand 11

Naturally enough, the usscher- water explace is questioned them about encountera with

frequently mestuckers almost

about sharks,

*11*

Fe

uskerl

And is replies in euch unde 11 b quatiy Disillusioning

The truth is that the octopus.

shy, FLVANIS creature les

whom the diver must be just is the as much a monstrosity monster is to the man Gener- ally, will take every care to avold even the possibility nt contact with a human being.

There is the danger, of course, of a hand or leg accidentally making contact with an octopus during a dive. Is that event the tentacles will react almost automatically and the suckers will get a strong grip on the But Dormally, it should

flesh. not be difficult to cut onestif tree with a ludfe.

DEADLY GRIP

Such an encounter has never huppened to me or to anyone I know. And 1, personally,

have never been able to authenticate any battle between

octopus which has been

und more the

i struggle to rule ervature from the sea-bed which it clings tenaciously after being harpooned.

well-docu-

BUL

there is niented Decount of a diver who in the dni become entangled tentacles of an 80-pound octopus while working on the founda- tions of a lighthouse off Corsica.

He was wearing a thick fough diving stalt

and

which was Магд

the struggle, upart in Desperately. the diver stubbed the beast again and again be-

tween the eyes but it refused to

Finally, both lot

go.

WCTO hauled aboard the diving boat, locked together. The man, half suffocuted by the slimy body, had several ribs crushed was taken to hospital,

and where

f

FIGHT TO THE

DEATH with an

EVIL MONSTER

Fifth of a series by JEAN FOUCHER CRETEAU

O

With gaping jaws this "Terror of the Seas” glides silently towards the camera.

Underoath it can be seen a Pilot (or Sucking) fish,

the

underwater

n [ silmy grey. gelatinous superiority OVCT any possible mese--look out steadily. un- adversary blindng.

world.

Ан fur bock

1707

and

But a far greater terror of Briton named Sir Hang Sloane the deep than the octopus is wrote about the ferocity that so-called Tiger of the Seas --the powerful, fighting box- racuda.

ed

in some water these voracious, streamlined creatures are fear-

fur

Chuun snore

sharks. Resembling a pike in build, and weighing up to 80 or 10 pounds. they have powerful jaws and a formidable array of knife- sharp tooth which

cun inflet terrible, tearing wounds, SILENT DANGER

They are particularly danger-

ous to the underwater explorer

of their

and

suru

greed of the barracuda, And

turned

plorer's rute by swiming alone on the surface, following the edge of an underwater clit.

Suddenly I saw through my mask a barracuda of about 40 pounds, coming straight up towards me from the depths, he added the opinion that It When it was only about four preferred black men, dogs and yards away it stopped,

white men. in 1742,

Fronch priest, Father Labat, went' even fur- ther than that. He wrote that the barracuda actually preferred Englishmen to Frenchmen. This, ho surmised, the Englishman (In those days) ate more ment than the French man and 130 mude a tastier, Julcier dish.

F

3

The An

The grampus,

shaped like a whale but distinctively marked with a black back and white belly, is found in most Waters Usually it hunts In groups, sometimes of only three or four, sometimes of as many as 30 or 40. It talks Its prey cunningly and then drives it into shallow water for the kill.

According to mariners' tales, the attack by the grampus on a whale is like that of wolves on Dag. But perhaps it would be more accurate to describe it as Jike that of a dive-bomber ita torget.

on

One grumpus, 1 is said, catches tho whale by the tull and another by the head. More of them hit aisi bukt und shap it its belly.

MORAY EEL

Soon the whale is exhausted and its great tongue lolls out, That is the moment for which the Sea Panthers have been waiting.

the The tongue is delicacy greatest

und they gobble it down greedily as u kind of appetiser for the rest of their enormous repast,

As I have said, it seems more than kely that the fest face- to-face encounter between 1511 underwater explorer and grampus will be both briet and decisive.

Even

short account of

a

some terrors of the deep would not be complete without men- tion of the moray eel.

This serpent of, the sea-bed certainly is the most dangerous creature to be encountered in the

Mediterranean, There

10

10

20 speci- 14

grows to seven or eight feet in length and weighs up pounds in the tropics, ments of up to 60 pounds encountered.

AN EXPLOSION

Take the octopus, the morty

almost eel-another evil,

re- pulalve-looking creature-hunts By day it hides in by night.

instress of some, rocky

the underwater jungle.

Normally,

it will not attack the explorer. But the danger is that the diver, entering some grotto where the light is poor, night accidentally put a hand Of a foot too close to the moray.

Then it will strike, with teeth like a wild cat's. The result is o very severe wound-and days and Inflamma- of intense pain tion.

Like many other creatures of both the land and the jungles, the moray is attracted immediately by blood. As soon

as another h 19

wounded several wil!

appear and suck like vampires at the wounds.

In the Rod Seo, near the

archipelago,

William Hickey

THE WEDDING OF MARGOT WAS LIKE ONE LONG DAY OF BALLET

roles

Enter a prince

moro?"

Paris. This baffled the French ward, said to her spom: "Am CAME across to Paris journalists, I felt they were sure I married already arter what I to see Margot Fonteyn that this was a deception, and have signed in the hotel?

to say anything that the bridegrown was hidden Do I have married to Dr. Roberto in a plece of luggage.

Bull, Margot did" very well. Roberto stood by her side. Arias, the wealthy lawyer

She danced her way through Sir Gladwyn on the other side. from Panama.

photographera flashed I have boon watching her these difficulties, the Custums The

read authorities, way, while the official for, and the passport danco In

marty 20 years,

so you must as if she were doing the second monotonously in Spanish. nearty

I heard Senor Arias say "81," not wonder if I BAW all the act of "Swan Lake

But I never heard Margot'a events cf the day in terms of

Answer. I think it was lost in ballet-and IL was quite a

the clicking of the cameras. dance, I assure you

The new Senora Arias klased It started at London Airport The wedding ceremony was her mother, her father,

de soon after 10. On carme

at the office of the consul- Valois, Jean Gilbert, and so on prima ballerina in a red coat general of Panama,

and so on. Those ballet, people and grey bat. Rather a small, A curious amall room, with are great people for kissing. grave little woman,

a desk with one of The final scene--the reception With her

Frederick those was

old-fashioned was

Plaza the Hotel ot who

拉 Ashion,

never created telephones, all spidery and Athenee, which provided such a ballet as today's, Jean elegant. Two wastepaper-baaket elegant backcloth. To announce Gilbert, the

attractive planist ke vases filled with lilac and the guests they had a wonder- at Covent Garden who has been enrmations. On a dusty bookenee fully dressed major-domo-grey Dving in Margot's fint: Ninelte a bowl of ropes,

morning suit, white spats, whito

There

has

tne

Ave Wonderful

de Valois, the grey-haired but But the Parls photographers tle, and chain of office, beautiful woman who has made had already taken the place Sadler's Wetts in International over. They were ranged two-

kstitution.

Dancing eyes There was also Michael Sories

the romantle ampeer who

partnered Margot in many of

her rules.

high

soon

be

was a fine display of Hilies. And plenty of cham-

The mother

behind the desk. They pagne. lined the walls,

Before Margol came down to had her The British Ambassador, Sir the reception sho

upstairs, t Gladwyn Jobb, came in very photograph taken

21 distinguished, hax

elegant must say she was looking very

There were kill little work. a grand vizler or Obviously

batteries of photographers. Even prince in this ballet,

the family was involved, for The room was packed to It was a lovely sunny morn-

her brother Felix, a professional The lady

taking photographer, big to be going off to Paris to suffocation by now.

was of mo .whn almost be married, and if Margova in front

pictures. fainting. She was Mra de feet did not dance her eyes did. Vallartano,

wife of the A comps de ballet of photo Panamanian Ambassador 1η graphers

accompanied her in

She Rome, who had come over with Margot's mother, the coach down to the plane.

Mrs Hook- her husband from Italy. Shy hom her daughter was born dis- then gracefully, posed appeared offstage into the plane. confrmed to me that Dr Arias Peggy Hookham, in Reigate, 35

would And we all waited for the next ambassador in London.

appointed years ago--was looking worried. "I had no idea it would be seeno of the ballet, "Marriage

like this," she said to me. "I in, Paris,"

Kisses all round thought it would be so quiet." Margot

was looking Very

Sir Gladwyn Jebb, realising Swed

very happy. She joked

The bridegroom arrived. A his role in this ballet was not about the ridiculous card you

bandsome man. Dark and vet ended, came up and poseri have to all up before disembark-

And then Margot for a picture with the elegant.

brida ing. "It's only recently I've had

bridegroom And then the courago to describe myself "Ppeared on the doorstep. She and

hovered for a minute. She Margot, almost in desperation, ballerina. I used to put almost shuddered in

I want her said: "Do you mind? myself down ve a dancer."

delicious grey Dlor dress.

to enjoy my marriage now.” Change of scene now. A now

Sho had for a moment the Later the bride and her hus-

Now York orps de ballet at Le Bourget expression on her face that the band left for

and men with Swan photographers

Queen wears, when she their way to the West Indies,

I fck stre

That was the final scene in fierce Latin expressions, poised sees the magician.

and requests. "Why is was saying to harselt: "And he the performance. It had been pencils

our bridegroom not with you?" said we will be married in Paris a long role for Margot. A "There's a superstition," she because I will be so

strango mixture of. much

stage glamour and back-stage reality. said, "you must not poe your quieter than in London."

But she is a good netist A-3 But, then, she has been used husband until the ceremony on

good the day of marriage."

trouper. She came for to that all her life.

pa

HOW FIT CAN

?

YOU BE

AT THE AGE OF 40?

By Chapman Pincher

оп

TANLEY MATTHEWS, In cricketers, does not diminish about 12 beats a minuto foster

the trend

swam slowly away. divod

with ofter it

My camera but the barracuda, evidently objecting to being followed, whiried round and

Matthews's nervous deeply in I was exploring of all time, who is 40, Practice has imprinted it sped straight for me. on a back was stifly erect a coral cavern, as magnificent in belleves he must be because

good for system that his reactions sure sign of anger. And its architecture

媳 cathedral, another five years of First not noticeably slower than they mouth was opening and closing when I came face to face with Division Soccer.

were 10 years ago, with a clicking

which sound

a big green morny.

His tall control is so much Most top-class footballers better than most other players was clearly audible in the

Somehow, I doubt very much whether such un explanation can account

In

water.

for my own good KILLER WHALE fortung, as a frenchman, escaping attacks by barracuda. Once in the Red Sea I was

swimming along the deck of an

the

Just when I thought my end had come, the creature dodged

past in a tight circle round me -and then disappeared into the

I backed away a little to

lve added forco

just

al

is

second-rate

Matthews himself.

His muscles

His lungs and blood system

6:0

are highly efficient at supplying

ro

blood to his vibrant muscles po

that his legs can work over- thing without fatigue.

Being dimly built, Mat-

his play

His injuries

on

до

A

thews is unlikely to experi- to my har-are finished after 10 to 16 that he could sustain some loss ence the weight troubles which poon and then firod.

besot many footballers in the years' professional playing. of speed before

forties. There should bo Do The arrow penetrated

Matthews has already played deteriorated. behind the head,

middle-aged spread to slow him which was because their movements are

down and no djeting rigours to fast. They arrive silently, un-

protruding from a crevice in the for 25 years.

weaken him. rocks. I pulled hard and suspectingly.

la bo deluding himself, like so. and will attack

"I still scale list, 2lb. stripped, he remained for Ex months." anybody anywhere, without any

mee, for the moray can tie it many who have carried on until

as I have ruther Partly by luck, but mainly

done for the last old wreck lying on the sea-bed

self in knots, making its, re-they were uppurent reason at all. As though aware of its own

his exceptionat eight years," he told me. through moval impossible.

khan admit that they had And while

when a great many of them shouting ugliness, the octopus leads

Matthews'a aguilty, Matthews has escaped flashed on the scene with typical depth star could not have could not get the moray out of ment?

But hard though, I fought, I reached the time for retire the serious injuries which afflict which he so much depends

kyo-sight, lonely, hermit life. By day, it spinshing may frighten away a tucks itself away in some dark shark, they will have no effect suddamess

a for his dribbling wizardry, ro- Not daring to move I watched provided me with better, more its hole. Ben-bed rollo, a ball of flabby,

The "Tiger"

To answer this question I con most footballers and have un a barracuda.

Alm

And

over the years. mains excellent. He has shots.

cumulative effect greyish matter, half-hidden will attack a swimmer on the

Then suddenly, there was on sulted two groups, each of about 40, dramatic

some of the leading Dil could mad

have explosion.

The knee and ankle injuries meed of glassce for reading. beneath a heap of small pebbles, surface even in shallow water

The enl had curled crossing

recrossing In nothing at

xxperts on the subject,

kopt

attributes in frightening

to which have occasionally

To cap all these me itself up with such violence and cluding the medical adviser Only

After succeeded after dark docs il or in the surf off buthing formation close by me.

41 emerge and lunge wearily to bench.

while I plucked up courage to more thoroughly.

strength that it burst apart the the British Olympic teams, Bir him out of the game have lett Matthews enters the forties with From the Sea Tiger try to film them and succeeded

to the tough coml surrounding 11. wards the surface in search of The biggest specimens,

Abrahams, and Mr 40 lasting results, He claims the supreme conviction that he had been Adolphe

that he as quick off the mark is going to play as well as over, prey, spitting out a stream of

My feet, which own strength, often in getting one good shote, but Sex Panther the Arampus, or

with the ball as he was 10 years He has tremendous zot for lite black liquid when there is any live by themselves, feeding on it was a disquieting experience killer whale. This is a terror of braced against the coral face, the deep which is silli a ques- slipped and I felt my leg in the

ngo, and recalls his unparalleled and his life is football. danger of attack, The fluid

any kind of fish. They are down there, 00 feet below

tion mark as far as the under colls of the serpent. Happily,

performance in the 1953 Cup spreads through the water,

great caters und when they surface.

water explorer

Final in support, is concerned. forming a smokescreen, under have gorged ther polyes

Finally, I had to make for they

as my harpoon was in the head

I am happy to report there is tho surface,

right So far, no one has had to pit of the moray, I could hold the will round, up more groups of

soaring cover of which the octopus con

agreement against fish clear. But I was held fast, all-round

Sir Adolphe Abratama sets muke good its escape.

fish, comering them and mount through one of the groups. Stil his skill and cunning

retain should the terrible strength of one of 30 feet below the surface, and | Matthews

ls and absterious, habits he much store by this display In tropical waters the octopus ing guard until their appetite. they did not attack, I can only

| match-winning magic for several is a In the under- I was running short of air,

life-long teetotaller, and confidence.

believes Ha grows to

imagine that the whirr of my these creatures an enormous size, have recovered.

Fortunately, my companions years yet. There are five fucts non-maker Matthews is in should more than makes up for often spanning 27 feet. Some

The smaller specimens usually camera might have discouraged sea world.

But

undoubtedly, an on- them

• any ramalta of wear and tear an apiendid physical shape: on the surface saw my plight which should make him times grotesque specimen tur movo about in groups, thus en- larger than this is cast up dead wring

"There is a world of di which may appear in the next To-exception to the rule that foot- that their

counter will take place one of and dived to my rescue. combined

these days.

mactive fow yesas. And in my own gether, we managed to free my ballers are finished at 40:- ference between with palm-fringed coral strength

them breaking

presetics of His excellence, depends on man of 40 and a trained athlete view that will be the last day of leg from the slimy, sticky rolls. beach.

But off the coasts of

the explorer concerned. For this When we had hauled the tonishing

the field in O mastory over of the same age," Sir Adolphe Matthews on Europe

the normal size 15

most intelligent monster which moray on board our boat wo his muscles, Ho cutwile his Abraharps said, looking pointed match-wimming mood ahould nearer to two yards across, with

13 possessed of enormous found that it weighed just 40 opponents by moving his legs ly at me. The ravages of the suckers about the size of a

strength and

lives courage,

bounds-yes, 40 pounds of with the rapidity of a ballet years do not make themselves penny.

chiefly by hunting and over- muscle and spitefulness.

dancer powering

and swerving at angles felt so quickly on a man who that other clever majestic glant, the whale.

which seem to defy gravity, cops himself in tip-top con The And it seerns an almost loughable

iden that puny clumsy man, floundering about gracelessly in a new world, could hope to be a worthy ad- versary for one such as this,

on

some

INSATIABLE

Even hardoned underwater explorers are revolted by the zight of an octopus catching and devouring Its prey. It

always insatiably hungry and is

for ever stuffing food of some

give

Another day I was foolishly

underwater

CX-

RAF MEN GOING

GHOST HUNTING

By LES ARMOUR

Hollywell.

kind into ita parrot-like beak | POYAL Air Force officers here are going ghost huning — with -

Its a great acavenger and radar.

socms.to delight in fooding pa

They hope to track down the "White Lady" the 900-ORT- matter which no other fish will old "ghost" of 10-year-old Juliet Tewalay, who hanged herself eaton bodies in the last stages after an unhappy love affair.

of decay and decomposton, S

Juliet was buried under the floor of the Ferry Boat Inh The creature seems to have here. She is said to appear every March and to walk across the Inch by inch, to some floating.

endless patience. It will preop, | floor of the barn't like the idea. The Ferry Boat de those

The RAF men

unsuspecting dah before striking favourite drinking haunt and every March on the anniversary of with deadly accuracy,

ite her death their routine is upset by people who are afraid of ghost. tentacles wide apart.

So that are going to plant radar equipment along the route

There is brief struggle, and Julles taken. If there langthing there, they figure it ought

then the poor fah is securely to low up on the screens, » e«?

held and carried off, back boi But they may not prove nothing

the lair of the octopus. There Most ghost experts are convinced that ghosts see

held by the tall and the head,

lmost as though by two human arma, tifi devoured at Insure. STEM (kahya bask, which is

„of the body?” pecka vicious

and so won't show up on the screens. disagree as to just what they are, t

The

Most recent suggestion was the one Brilainen the late Dr C. E. M. Jonda, nóv snnad: Th” HIM ARM who were loo fond of the things of this:

JOHNNY HAZARD

KEEP DOWN, BUS? WHO'S FTHE GET-JOBÜLONE OF YOUR "MOB ON THE WELCOWING.

COMMITTERY

WORLD COPYRIGHT

NEXT SATURDAY: Trapped In ́A Ship. Under The Sea

[Now THAT'S

NOT ONE OF

that o

Through persistent training

Hos

His confidence

mere

of

it

surely be worth an extra 10 per cent to his side" he said,

Modest Mr. Mattheway would make no comment on this ro- mark: `except to say: ""It's how of dition." stimo co-ordination

Training muscle and mind enables him

increased the you feel that matters when you had. And I never to pass the ball with uncanny size of Matthews's heart mus aro 40, not how many birthdays.

you have 2. cils drich atronathered the power This kind of skill, like the of their beat. To do the same felt fitter of stronger hal co-ordination of hand and eye work my heart has to pump

~(London Express""Service);

|THE LOT=FIGHTER WHEBLO IN A TIGHT, ARGLAS.

By Frank Robbins

AND MAKES ANOTHER PASE AT JOHNNY'S BLOW, UNARMED TRANSPORT

San Miguel