The "Man-Fish.”

Cromwell Argus, Volume VI, Issue 306, 22 September 1875, Page 3

The "Man-Fish.”

The Dunedin papers supply the subjoined particulars of the extraordinary performances of “Natator,” who is at present exhibiting in that town : —Natator, who is no other than Mr Charles Weightman, performs in a sort of tank, which has glass sides, and through which the slightest movement on the part of Natator can be distinctly seen. He is a native of Nottingham, and performed some daring and clever feats in the water even before he made his appearance as the “Manfish.” With the view of satisfying the audience that there was nothing concealed in the apparatus, and that it actually contained water, several gentlemen were invited by Mr Davies to ascend the platform and make tests. They did so with their hands, and one of them thrust a stick into the tank, and carried it from end to end. But, had any doubt existed, it must have been at once dispelled when Natator, after having made his introductory bow, plunged head first into the water, and though one would have thought the tank was barely large enough to enable him to move with celerity, his movements were more like those of an eel than those of a man. What appeared to be a plate of bread and butter was placed at the bottom of the tank, and having himself descended, and assumed a sitting posture, Natator soon made short work of the bread and butter ; also of something that looked like milk, which, on the neck of the bottle that contained it being raised to his lips rapidly disappeared. Natator’s next feat was to take a pipe with him beneath the water, and there he smoked apparently with comparative ease. Subsequently a chair was secured to the bottom of the tank, and between its legs Natator went many times—turning, plunging, and twisting with fish-like activity. The performance is certainly an extraordinary one, and cannot fail to draw very numerous audiences to the Temperance-hall.