Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-07-20
SHARKS.
'I'Tcu GAG bclow in the peaceful sea
.'Nh'rc the waters murmur tranquilly,

" no rs there whose lot II has been 10 ira
verse those mighty oceans which separate
Ire old world from the new; and who, long
out of sight of land, and becalmed on tho
bosom OF the CLASSY sea, has not loBged Tor
some object to break the monotony of the
surrounding waste of watersl The drow-
sincss Of the voyager almost oyercomcs him,
as listlcssly reclining under the ample cover
ing wbich shadows the deck, he hears the
sails IDLY tapping against the mast, which
creaks and strains as the vessel rolls TO the
long and heavy swell; the quarter-mastcr
hangs half asleep over the wheel, which is
unable TO prevent the ships head from be-
aug turned 10y the currents, To every point OF
tue compass the seamcn reposc OH the sha-
t'y side of the booms, and lassitude per-
vddcs every thing, in and about THO vessel
But Ire who, for the first time, hears that one
of those fearful monsters of the deep-a
shark, has appeared in the ships track, will
not long remain inactive; he will quickly
rouse himself, and with awakened curiosity
hcstcn 10 view the dread of sailors, which
has risen like spectre from Tic depths OF
the blue waters.
Well do remember the rush that the
passengers of large Indiaman made 10 the
tafiral OF the vessel, when, after having been
bccalmcd for some days under the line, il
was announced that "a sea attorney" had
shown himself astcrn; there he appeared,
.Monstran, horren0,mn ct ingens
following us quietly and watchfully, some
times deep under the surface, at other times
showing his dorsal fin above water, as he
dartv,i aside TO examine any light substance
that had fallen from the vessel The cadets
Immediately denounced war against him,
and ran to prepare their hooks and TO charge
then iowiing-peccs, and some earnestly i'll
treated the officers of the ship to lower Il
boat, and harpoon the monster, on whose
devoted head destruction seemed inevitably
impending. twas nc long before we had
nearer view Of him, for q weather beaten
Tar having produced large hook attached
10 chain, and n stout line, baited it with
four pounds of pork, and lowered it in front
oil the shark, by whom it was quickly swat
lowed; the order to hoist away was givcn
and he was speedily transferred from his ma
tive element to the deck, which he was al
lowed TO lash with his torkcd tail I'd N5itAn
What. principally distinguishes the shark
from the other inhabitants of the ocean, is
ms extreme voraci!y, exempliiied by being
constant attendant on vessels when becalIn-
cd, or with light winds, between the tropics,
aud dcvourlng lndscrlminatciy any animal
substance that may fall overheard. Slave
ships, and South Sea whalcrs always prove
attractive to sharks. When the crew Of the
latter happens {: be fencing hale, or cut
hauling and making fast the Whale adn6gY
side, and by several hands employed with
their knives and spades On the dead fish !
40 sooner do operations commence, than
sharks flock around in shoals, and greed
~ devour the fragments which fall into the
sea, and for the seaman who may happen
incautious!y to slip from the body Of the
whale, amongst such cannibals there is no
salvation.
Ofthe different species Ofshark, the white
shark is the largest and most formidable: il is
seen commonly in warm attitudes, and is
said TO reside principally in the depths Of the.
ocean, from whence it rises to the surface
at intervals to prowl for prey and satisfy its
yorac;ous appetite. Some of these have
been caught of the enormous length of thir-
" feet: their dreadful mouth furnished with
SIX rows % sharp pointed and serratcd teeth,
some OF which can be raised or depressed
at pleasure from the cartilage in which they
arc Embedded; the eye is small, Of q greenish
hue, and possessing a most diabolicaI ex-
preston; and the throat being extremely
vide, gave rise to the suppostion. that n |
hsh ofthls description swallowed the prophet
Jonah. In the British Museum are preserved
several teeth Of Il shark, five inches in !
length; the animal therefore to which these
he ionged must have been equal to the larg-
est cetacea in bulk.
The ground Shark, which abounds on the
Coromandel coast, is exceedingly DANCE
rous to bathors. Not long ego, two officers
went into the sea, ut Madras, to battle: ore
Of them got ont of his depth, and was
swimming about unmindful of the dancer
chat surrounded him, when n cry of distress !
rom hs companion, caused him to look A. .
round, when he was Mortified by seeing the
unfortunate man (who had not advanced
into no water beyond his knees struggling
with ,nr.,. FISH, which soon pulled him un;
der the surface; few DAYS afterwards, the
trunk of the officer was found or the beoch,
with the head aud limbs eaten of. Ailru2-
tors to, sometimes attack bathers on the I
shores of the Bay of Bengal; though not in.