I came across another interesting
Hong Kong cryptozoology story the other day via the excellent Trove online
database (based in Australia Victoria Causeway Bay
on the north side of Hong Kong island in the
same year of a sea monster or dragon which, when it appeared, stopped the course
of a plague, thus saving the villagers. The image below from a web site
illustrates this Tai Hang story. However, the events below took place in
Aberdeen
A SEA MONSTER
The original sea serpent, or one of
his family, appears to have been caught near Hong
Kong . The Press (1) reports that on 1st July a marine
monster was captured in the dock at Aberdeen China Sea , and is sometimes seen on
the surface of the water asleep. One of the Messageries (?) Maritime steamers
going north from Hong Kong some time ago ran into one, and the officers of the
ship thought she was aground as the vessel was brought up to nearly a dead stop;
on another occasion one was captured asleep and made fast, and although the
strongest hoisting gear in the ship was rigged, before the fish was lifted half
out of the water – so great was the weight – the tackle broke and the attempt to
secure the monster had to be abandoned. (2)
A brief search in other online old
Hong Kong newspapers didn`t reveal any concrete
understanding of the “devil fish”. There were stories of rays off S.America with
22 foot wide “fins” from tip to tip and giant octopi though. I believe the oar
fish can be excluded.
- The
- Gippsland Times
September 22nd 1880 p.3
