The Yazoo Democrat. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-07-23

VI va Jul C1A JOu iiiAOA ANiAA '"A~
he is virtuous
Is he rich Yes, be asthousands float
ing on every ocean but do mot riches some
times take wings and fly away And will
you consent that your daughter shall mar
ry man who has nothing to recommend
him but his wealth All beware; the
gilded bait sometimes covers a barbed
hook. Ask not, then, els he rich :" but,
sis he virtuous r. Ask not, then, if he has
wealth, but if he has honor, and do not sac
rifce your daughters peace for money.
FRoL1C WITH SHARK.-Thurlow
Weed, in one of his letters from Santa
Cruz, gives the subioined account ola rem
contre with that dangerous fsh-+the pow
erfll SHARK
The marauding, dreaded shark, always
rife in tropical climates, is so common here
as to deprive us of the luxury Of open sea
bathing. The negro couch drivers disre-
garded these monsters and some of the
planters battle after sending negro fther
out into the sea as a sentinel.
We had a rare frolic with shark a few
days since. A Spanish schooner came in
here with cattle. The cattle had been sew.
eral days upon short allowance of water,
and in swimming them ashore in their
weak condition, two of them died. One of
the carcases was taken by the negroes and
anchored half a mile from the shore, to bait
sharks with. The rascals soon made their
appearance. The harpoon was sent with
sure aim at huge fellow, who darted of
with such force as to break the line. But
three of the school soon returned, one of
which was struck with better fortune
This one after powerful but unavailing
struggles to escape, rose to the surface of
the water, and then the negroes got a.
ground hitch" upon his tail, when they
pulled for the shore. The word was pass
edthrough the streets that a shark was
coming in. This drew a large concourse
Of white, "ringed speckled, and gray, spir-
its to the beach.
When the boat approach the shore, a
negro landed with the line to which the
shark was fast and which was seized by
men, women and boys, who, with infinite
glec, drew the common enemy, struggling
and laundering, with blood streaming from
. his side and nostril, high and dry upon land.
This shark was eight feet long, and though
the harpoon had gone deep in his vitals, he
displayed an activity and strength which
admonished us to keep at a respectable dis
lance. Its skin is smooth and sleek like
that of a seal, or purpose, and but for its
enormous mouth you would suppose i
quite as harmless. After forcing its mouth
with hand-spike and thrusting a large
stone into its NAV, it was cut open for its
liver; which yielded seven gallons Of lamp
oil. But the shark had within him the ev-
idence of having feasted bountifully upon
unroasted beef before the hapoon did its
Office. Not less than thirty pounds of raw
beef before dropt from under his gasket.-
Among other delicate bits was a sHrloin
weighing twelve pounds, with two entire
and still unbrOken ribs. During this pro-
cess the shark foundered with prodigious
strength, and even after its vitals were all
out, the body retained a spasmOdic action !;
and finally, when the negroes rolled the
trunk backsinto the sea, its native element
seemed to impart sort Of life, for the con-
tortions continued until sunk out Of sight.
81 beg your pardon" said a gentleman
courteously saluting another in a coffee
room, " / don't Immediately recollect your
name but think have had the pleasure
ofmeeting you Somewhere" "Noihing is
more pro6ablel" replied the party address
ed, returning the bow and resuming the
perusal Of his newspaper, " for very often
20 there"