The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-09-07

Alongside, and that they were plenty. w
Immediately quit working on the whale
I hoisted out our boats and proceeded t
wndward at different distances from tn
schooner, and after catching few fish tn
SHARKS made their appearance again, an
the mackerel Immediately fed. We return
ed on board, fastened our boats, and pre-
cseded to our work again. In another hou
the sharks had appal emily gone in pursuit c
announcer shoai OF fish, and yet another still
more hungry than the first had made it
appearance, and we Immediately quit GU
"haie work again. Here an explanation
may lie due to some readers 10 account 70
the pfoprety Of our anxiety to improve ev
cry moment to catch mackerel, the chic
ohlect OF our voyage, while they were along
SIDE. We had now been out nearly three
weeks, and had caught comparatively moth
ing. In addition to this it is not general,
known, that unlike the cod fishing, it is M
uncommon thing for vessel to try the hes
hshlng ground IN every direction for DAYS
or even weeks without getting enough tc
eat: still nore-the same vessel. with n
common crew, could make up load with
SIX hours fishing, allowing sufficient inter.
! Vals 10 dress and salt them. The crew OF
the vessel | was in would catch "wasb
barreF' minute, upon an average, with a
hungry shoal alongside. Two of these
wash barrels make one packed barrel
consequently 20 minutes fishing a day,
would, In 20 days, give 200 barrels. SO that
every one must see the Importance of i'm
proving every moment of good fishing.
but 10 return: we proceeded as before to
windward OF the vessel in two dories and a
moses ooat,-one dory next the schooner.
the boat next, and our captain and myself
IN the furthest 'ory, about 100 yards from
the schooner. For n few minutes we of
the outer dory found mackerel as fast as
we could well take them, although they
were deeper than usual. We were not a
little surprised at this, because amgnstrous
shark kept constantly playing around US on
the surface OF the water, and at the bare
SIGHT OF shark in most instances macker-
el VIII flee. The shark kept swimming so
near us in dull and indolent manner that
( our hsh hobs would frequently fall on his
| BACK. We then took ouroars and beat him
over the head, and when he would not 20
oil with that, we even punched his ewes 4;
nut all would not answer; he took no more
notice OF the blows we gave him than if in
stead OF him we had beat the air-he ap-
preached even higher as we repeated our
/ efforts to keep him off:
| But at length the shark suddenly disap-
peared. and with him all the mackerel. We
now lay on our oars" tor some time, await
! ing their return. The sun shore in his full
meridian spendor, and a balmy breeze
sprnging up from the southwest, backened
as its ripping effect on the water was by
THE oil that washed from the whale-serv-
! ed only to make the scene more inviting
and pleasant. We at this moment had no
shark to gaze upon to give anxiety to our
minds or employment to our oars, and nc
cordingy sat down on the thwarts of our
frail little bark, eisurely watching the re-
turn of the object of our pursuit. The wa
ter was so transparent and smooth that
could distinctly see several fathoms below
| its surface on the shady side of the boat
and it was whilst | was thus employed gaz-
ing into the blue expance beneath us with
view of noticing the expected return of
the fish, that something glanced before my
/ eyes, darling up from the deep with the
rapidity Of light, and at the same instant
struck the dory about the centre of the af
ter part, nearly under the feet of my part
ner! So great was the conclusion that
the boat must have been lifted foot out of
the water, and | am confident he would
( have been precipitated into the sea, but for
the fact that the blow was SO central that
the boat lifted and fell without canting in
the least. AS it was, he was thrown for
ward with great violence across the after
thwart and eXclaiming aloud with terror
and surprise, inquired what had caused it
| replied it must have been the shark chas
ing a mackerel, and that the boat was strncF
by accident rather than design. | SHOULD
always have remained inclined TO this opin
ion but for the subsequent occurrences
Our shpmates in the other boats distinctly
heard the blow and the dashing of the
water when the boat fell, and upon inquir
ing the cause received the sane answer
that | had just given my partner. We
tended our lines few minutes longer, will
more caution and some doubt of the safety
Of our situation, when 10 upon hearing {
, noise in the direction of the vessel, we turn
ed our eyes and beheld a monstrous shark
, with his nose on the stern of the mose
, boat, and his mouth extended to devour it
. Had not the stern of the boat sloped under
its oaken plank would have received indu
bitable proof of the strength of his Jaws
but as its slope prevented the contact, h
= desisted and sank IN his element again. |
: might not be amiss to observe here that tn
: mouths of most large sharks ure situated
: foot or more from their nose or snout, an
. beneath, so that they can never bite an oil
ject in their natural position without fils
running over it; to bite any thing ubov
y them they must first turn on their back
r This last maneuvre they are so dexteror
in that they will perform it instantaneous,
4 What had before been matter of douf
f was now actual demonstration. We ha
seen with our own eyes the object of OF
{ voracious visitor, and lost no time in takin
in our lines and making the best of our wa
n to the schooner. Our alarm was heigh
4 ened when the crew of the moses boat il
q formed us he had left them and shaped h
I course for us. AS my partner was niue
!. more sure footed in wabbling, INSTEAD
4 dory than myself, he insisted upon bracir
j. himself in standing position to scul, All
a directed me to secure myself forward ar
!, assist him in keeping lookout for the en-,
: my. accordingly settled on my knees an