A MONSTER OF THE DEEP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13390, 19 January 1907, Page 5 (Supplement)

A MONSTER OF THE DEEP.

Tfiosk who have seen a diving suit are aware of the frightful appearance of a man arrayed in it. The front of the headpiece is a large circular pane of glass, giving the wearer the appearance of a hideous Cyclops. From the top of the head runs a rubber lube for supplying air to the diver, and there is also a. rope for hauling him up. In the early days of the gold excitement in California a Mr. Potts and his partner, both miners, decided that 1 there was gold at the head-waters of the 1 San .Joaquin. They discovered a deep hole i in the bed of on.- of the forks, and concluded that, if there was gold anywhere in the bed of the stream, it was in that hole. They tried diving to the bottom ; but the wafer was too deep, and they found themselves in a dilemma. Mr. Potts' partner bethought himself of a diving suit in San Francisco which he could procure, and the decision was reached that he should go and bring it. This he did, arriving with it after some time. Mr. Pot Is' partner arrayed himself in (he -'lit. Lying across the hole was a fallen tree, a.-id Mr. Potts and his partner walked out upon the log. and the partner slipped down into the water and was instantly out of sight. Mr. Potts held the rope by which to pull him up. The signal agreed upon was a jerk of the rope. While Mr. Potts was thus sitting on the log and holding the rope he appeared to ! be fishing with a stout line for big fish. i He was thus engaged when Chief Ke.weah ! and hi- squaws tame down from the mounI tains, where they had been gathering nuts. j lie stopped, and thus addressed Mr. Potts: "Von ketchuni fish"'" "No, not yet," was the reply: "but I expect a bite pretty soon." The old chief was evidently much" interested in the scene, and without more, ado he squatted on the bank and awaited developments, his squaws following his example. Pretty soon there came a "jerk of the rope that rippled the surface of the water. Keweah became greatly excited when he saw Mr. Potts pulling lieavilv on the line: and the old chief raised" himself to his feet and watched the procedure with the deepest interest. Presently the monster of the deep came to the. surface, with its hideous Cyclopean eves turned in Kewcah's direction. "V.dC" shouted the old warrior, and he and" his squaws turned suddenly and fled u panic-&'trkken -over -the plains..