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Alexander von Humboldt: „Electrical eels“, in: ders., Sämtliche Schriften digital, herausgegeben von Oliver Lubrich und Thomas Nehrlich, Universität Bern 2021. URL: <https://humboldt.unibe.ch/text/1819-Baron_Humboldts_Personal_Heft1-04-neu> [abgerufen am 19.04.2024].
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| Titel | Electrical eels | ||||
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| Jahr | 1819 | ||||
| Ort | Cambridge | ||||
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Nachweis in: The Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, And Huntingdonshire Gazette 2970 (24. September 1819), [o. S.].
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| Sprache | Englisch | ||||
| Typografischer Befund | Antiqua; Spaltensatz; Auszeichnung: Kursivierung. | ||||
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Baron de Humboldt, in his Travels inSouth America, relates some curious parti-culars of the gymnoti, or electrical eels.The Baron wishing to procure some of themin full vigour, the Indians said they would
embarbascar con cavallos—set the fish to sleep,or intoxicate them with horses. They there-fore brought to the stream about thirty horsesand mules, when the following singularscene ensued, as described by the learnedtraveller:—
“The extraordinary noise caused by the horses’hoofs makes the fish issue from the mud, and excitesthem to combat. These yellowish and livid eels,resembling large aquatic serpents, swim on thesurface of the water, and crowd under the belliesof the horses and mules. A contest between animalsof so different an organization, furnishes a verystriking spectacle. The Indians, provided withharpoons and long slender reeds, surround the poolclosely; and some climb upon the trees, the branchesof which extend horizontally over the surface of thewater. By their wild cries, and the length of theirreeds, they prevent the horses from running awayand reaching the bank of the pool. The eels,stunned by the noise, defend themselves by therepeated discharge of their electric batteries.—During a long time they seem to prove victorious.Several horses sink beneath the violence of the invi-sible strokes, which they receive from all sides inorgans the most essential to life; and, stunned bythe force and frequency of the shocks, disappearunder the water.—Others, panting, with mane erectand haggard eyes, expressing anguish, raise them-selves, and endeavour to flee from the storm bywhich they are overtaken. They are driven backby the Indians into the middle of the water; but asmall number succeed in eluding the active vigilanceof the fishermen. These regain the shore, stumblingat every step, and stretch themselves on the sand,exhausted with fatigue, and their limbs benumbedby the electric shocks of the gymnoti.
“In less than five minutes two horses weredrowned. The eel, being five feet long, and pres-ing itself against the belly of the horses, makes adischarge along the whole extent of its electricorgan. It attacks at once the heart, the intestines,and the plexus cœliacus of the abdominal nerves.It is natural that the effect felt by the horses shouldbe more powerful than that produced upon man bythe touch of the same fish, at only one of his extre-mities. The horses are probably not killed, butonly stunned. They are drowned from the impos-sibility of rising amid the prolonged struggle betweenthe other horses and the eels.
“We had little doubt that the fishing would ter-minate by killing successively all the animals en-gaged; but by degrees the impetuosity of this unequalcombat diminished, and the wearied gymnoti dis-persed. They require a long rest, and abundantnourishment, to repair what they have lost of gal-vanic force. The mules and horses appear lessfrightened; their manes are no longer bristled, andtheir eyes express less dread. The gymnoti approachtimidly the edge of the marsh, where they are takenby means of small harpoons fastened to long cords.When the cords are very dry, the Indians feel noshock in raising the fish into the air. In a fewminutes we had five large eels, the greater part ofwhich were but slightly wounded. Some were takenby the same means toward the evening.”
ELECTRICAL EELS.