Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-06-12

October IA, In ~ deg. 1ehlh WIN d snodi VI
sharks, which played around the vessel, to the an
noyance of the sailors, who are rather superstl.
tious. and consider such visitors as ominous OF
evil, and this indeed proved two true. AT md
day. all the gentlemen were basily employed ut
being a dead calm) in batting hooks to catch
sharks, and one of them took the bait. The ilsh
was full eighteen feet in length. and in tiounder-
ing to disentangle himself caused so much sport,
that several passengers crowded into the Cap
tain's boat, which hung suspended over the stern
of the ship. Suddenly they all got to the head
of the boat to see the shark hauled under the
stern of the vessel. struggling with the line. In
a moment the quarter david on the starbOard side
of the vessel broke off, and let one end of the boat
down, precipitating every soul in it into the sea
among the sharks. Here was a scene OF horror!
The captain was in the midships when it happen
ed. was busily employed at my tents under
the tuition of the boatswain, but, like the rest,
when the shark was caught, left my occupation
to witness the sport. but Providence guided me
to a point of safety. The boatswain had slung
himselfby a rope, and lowered himselfto the sur.
face ofthe water, with the harpOon in his hand
ready to strike the fish, at the very instant the &C
cident happened. Young William followed me,
but not satisfied with the view, hastily climbed
up the side of the poop cabin and was the last
that Jumped into the unlucky boat, and made up
the number of twelve persons struggling IN the
sea among the sharks. Our captain was almost
beside himself-all hands commenced throwing
out ropes, loose spars, oars, and every buoyant
article we could lay hands on for themto cling to.
Fortunately it was a dead calm, our vessel only
drifted by the little current of the sea. saved
one lad by throwing over a knife board which the
cabin boy had been using; my man Hubbard threw
over an indian mat. Master Shaw a young gen.
tleman about Is, cot upon it, and was three miles
a stern of us before we could reach him with the
boat. which was instantly manned and launched.
[ saved Mr.. Earl'S foOtman, who could swim,
but was so exhausted from fear Of the sharks,
that he was sinking when l dragged the line the
shark was attached to across him, and he had the
presence of mind to put the cord with IN his teeth,
when | hauled him within the reach OF a rope
with a loop, by which we hauled him safe up
Mr.. Peter Shadwell was also actively employed;
he is in the East India Company's service, and is
a brother of the Vice Chancellor: after half an
hours %exertion, all were saved but two. | la
ment to say Williams was one of the unfortunates.
| saw him sink to rise no more. He had hold Of
an oar, but slipped his ba!ance-He slipped it,
and actually flung his arms around the captured
shark (which was now pulled up to the surface
VI Uc WdtGi.l W saw UlhiSSil+ Oit viz uS oiiiu
out what he had hold of, he was so horror struck
that he called me by my name, oh my God!
my God! witness. my end!' and down he sank
to rise no more. The other sufferer was a fine
healthy country boy. Thus two lives were lost
to answer the confirmation of the sailors omen,
that sharks always prognosticate signs Of death or
some evil to the shipethus it proved. This in
deed was il tragic day. The fish. line and all,
dr;ft,d ,,y,v md ue all rnturped thanks m Cud
for allowing US to save the other ten
LitchfeM Mercury.
-aaeaa~
Emigrafion.- On the subject of emigration
from England to this country, the Manchester
Times of the a2d of April says:-'A friend in
Liverpool tells Us, that a few weeks ago one house
which contracts with ship owners for forwarding
emigrants, had no fewer than nine hundred in the
dock at one time, ready to sail for different ports;
and these were not mere aDorers, fleeing from ILL.,
reqmted, endless and hopeless toll, but the better
class of mechanics, shop-keepers, and farmers.
many Of them CARRYING several hundred sove-
reigrs with them. Such men are the very sim
ews Of the State, and their expatriation. however
beneficial, it may prove to themselves, is a heavy
national loss. The desire to emigrate is not con-
fined to such classes. If the poor weavers could
command the means of removal, we have no
doubt that fifty thousand from this neishborhood
would emigrate. not only without hesitation. bat
With the utmost alacrity and joy. A shopkeep-
er who is correspondent here for one of the Lii
verpool Emigration AGENTS, says that, in the course
of 4 few weeks. he has. on such meagre notice of
his agency as is afforded b. bills stuck in his
windows. had several thousand applications from
individuals who eagerly offered to bind themselves
to any one in America, till their labors had re-
paid the expense of their conveyance there. and
that on his Informing them that he had no power
to make such contract, not more than haifa dozen
individuals out of those thousands could muster
the few pounds requisite to pay their passage. 1t
may be supposed that the influx of country pco-
pie into Liverpool, has gathered together there a
shoal of sharks to prey on them; for in the artitl-
cial state of this country, knavery finds its profit
in the very prevalence of distress. AS soon as
a poor man arrives in Liverpool, one of these
sharks accosts him, and under pretence of find
ing him cheap lodgings, cheap provisions, and a
low rate of passage, contrives to obtain by way of
commission, from provision dealers and captains,
in most cases, a tenth of all he spends, if he do
not rob him outright.
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