Buried In a Fish’s Belly June 20, 2014
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern , trackback
This is an almost unbelievable story that made a splash in the UK in the late May of 1833. We quote one G.S.Gowing who was the owner of a ship, but who was not a witness.
On Monday last, the 20th inst., a fishing vessel belonging to Lowestoft [Norfolk], Robert Gowing master, engaged in the mackerel fishery, was lying at sea, about nine leagues to the eastward of Lowestoft, in 26 fathoms water ; the crew during the day cast their fishing lines into the sea for the purpose of catching cod fish and haddock… Upon hauling up their lines they had caught several cod and other fish; one of the former was of unusual size, and the master proposed it should be brought on shore for sale: but being detained at sea until the following day, it was agreed that the large cod fish should be cleaned and dressed for the ensuing morning. Upon opening the fish, the belly was observed to be of unusual size, which induced them to be particular in ascertaining its contents,— when upon slitting it open, to the utter astonishment of the master and part of the crew (the remaining part of them being in the cabin), a new-born infant, in a perfect state, presented itself to their almost unbelieving eyes. The master immediately summoned that part of the crew which were below, upon deck, that the whole of them, nine in number, should witness this unprecedented phenomenon, and bear their united testimony to the fact. They immediately began to examine the little innocent, which they describe as a very fine full-grown male child, perfectly formed, with toe and finger nails complete, and having dark brown hair on the back part of its little head: nor was it at all disfigured or decomposed, and from its appearance could not have been taken by the fish but a very few hours before it was caught. The master is a married man, with a family, a distant relation of mine, and one in whom I place the greatest confidence; but I have no doubt he would have been the last man to believe in such an occurrence had he not been the very person who witnessed it.
This is perhaps the most dramatic instance of the Jonas phenomenon, instances when children, women and men are discovered in fish. Maybe Gowing was lying, maybe he had been hoodwinked, but he certainly existed, and after being made fun of he replied with a bitter counter letter a week later. The next account is from 1889 and from France.
An enormous fish, about 12 feet in length, and weighing upwards of 1,200 kilogrammes, waa found by some iishermen at Brusc — a village on the coast of the Department of the Var— on Wednesday in some nets which they had put down. The animal was dead, but, being considered still fit for human food, it was taken to the shore, the operation lasting fully eight hours. When opened the people who had crowded to the beach to see it were amazed at the sight of part of a man’s body and legs tbe feet only being missing, lying in the stomach of this monster of the deep. On examination it was found that the man mnst have been drowned some time ago. The remains of the poor fellow were taken to the cemetery for burial, but the fishermen went on with their work, and, having cut up the fish, sent it on to Toulon, where it was sold in the market.
That is a fish most of us would definitely prefer not to taste. Would a fish, of any kind, really have preserved either a baby or a man for any length of time? Would a fish – and what was this twelve foot fish ever have swallowed a man? Of course, the best Jonah stories are those where the person comes out alive. There are not many of these and, of course, they are cobblers. For a brilliant, inspired and witty debunking of the famous 1891 Bartley story follow this link. We’ll turn to it another day. Other dead or alive Jonah stories? drbeachcombing At yahoo DOT com
