Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-11-09
COssib about sharks.


creation and therefore part Of great genral
economy. At the same time people cannot
well avoid having their antpalhes. some
have no great affection for rats few look win
ANYTHING like satisfaction on snakes and varl-
Gus other reptiles IT has been my mslorluhe
to hate sharks. Yes, | say 1t undlssuisedly-
of all created beings, a shark is to me the most
abhorrent Born N the tropics, and living Inc
chief portion Of my life just beyond their verge
where bathing in the sea was more necessary
than a luxury, have often come in contact IN
various ways with this iend of the deep
Fiend Of the deep, however, Is not the proper
term; il turks also in shallow sunny spots,
where tbs brilliant white sand supports appar-
emily just enough of cool still water to afford
bath for troop OF nymphs oi children IN
the most retired corner Of such LOCALITY, JUST
where the tide will allow of his quick exlt,wili
the brute lurk, and woe betde the amman
which comes in it's reach The ground shark
is the most dangerous and deadly OF all ms
deadly tribe for, as a negro once sald, \ on
never see him I'LL you feel him." In the open
sea you have some chance for your HE Tor
your enemy is visible from the deck of ship,
or even from small boat the deep sca-shark
swimming high in the water, and IN calm
weather generally showing his dorsal-hn above
| its surface. But The ground shark, as It's name
signifies, lies crouched below you, glarlng up
wards in all directions as II slews ltseli round
| its eyes take in great extent OF the surface;
and small chance has living flesh or bone "hcn
opposed to It's powerful jaws or numerous rows
! of teeth.
4 NV hatred to this monster dates from very
! early period of nv life. When about four or
five years old, was once floating IN my tlhy
canoe within the reef which crcled one OF the
islands of the Pacific. lie who held me in his
arms babe me look over its side, aud there, far
down. but distinct in those transparent waters,
were several sharks sporting over the coral
which branched from the bottom. In Their
gambols, they would shoot up towards the
surface and in turning, the glanclng WINE
belly and the horrld jaws would suddenly re-
veal themselves. My childish dreams were
long after haunted by that vision and perhaps
my antpathy thence arose. but oilen slhce
that period have had cause to shudder when
even the name itself was mentioned not so
, much perhaps on my own account personally,
as on that Of others who have suffered by
them.
!, myself, however, have had some narrow
cscapes from the scoundrels | remember
well, when a boy at school many years ago,
= one Saturday afternoon my father taking my
! self and two brothers out fishing, not with the
. rod and flies as IN this country, but from the
boat's side, IN five fathoms Of blue water. We
we're in common waterman boat, such as
are used in the harbOr, which, not 10 be par
y ticular. was in Australia. We anchored about
three or four hundred yards from the end OF q
. small island and while the waterman and
!. bows fshed, the old gentleman PIT up ha um-
!" brella to keep off the sun and read his ne"spa'
per- After our fishing was over, at about sun
set, one of my brothers and | determined tt
x balhe. NV father did not much like the idea
but we assured him that there Was no danger
= and Jumped in and swan TO the island I; anc
= after running about for ten minutes, we Jump
= ed into the water again and struck out tor th'
C boat The wind blew pretty freshly, and th'
" small waves washed about my head, and fotce'
me 10 swim on my side OF back, to AVOID thei
splashing i'll my face owing to this, DID no
:, hear the shouting which had ior some mo
~ ments, in fact, been kept up by those we ha'
left in the boat The first word | did hea
u distinctly was a terrible one Shark ~ ant
!" at the same instant | saw those in the boat al
u standing up and waving their hands, the on
u gentleman shaking his umbrella in a very EN-
u phatic manner. turned myself quickly roun
IN the water have said before the sun va
nearly down; / is not surprising then that
'u sprinpinp up as did, the shadow OF my o"
head and shoulders should starte one 81 sud
denly alarmed as ] was. Down went
. quickly as possible for the only chance yo
oi have with a shark is to get below hm; aud
US YOU can reach the bottom, to kick up du'
III there. and, under cover of the cloud raised, t
- swim in another direction. saw nothing
"a. however, except the white legs and body
.. nv brother, who was about thirty yards b'
w. hind me when ! went down; aud came u
lid again. He had seen me 20 down, aud aske
all me the reason for doing II. ] was glad to I'm
ri. that he had not heard the cries from The boa
no for he was a tmd lad, and feared the effect
ii. upon him. ! kept constantly before hlH
'e- splashing the water IN hls face, and shouting
IN until he got into towering passion. h
to was what | wanted tor hls attention va
IN drawn from the boat. The agony oi thos
us moments ] shall never forget; did not kno
~ the exact nature OF the lntlmation who
vi was wished TO be given us, beyond the slmpl
~ fact that IL was connected with the SHARK =
49," Every moment | expected 10 see the balcil
~. shadow ghde towards US, and IN imagination
.cS felt mysclf-but II IS useless 10 attempt d.
N. scribinp what was the nature of my feeling
tie They were, ~ fact, all swallowed up III oI
as sentiment of terrific expectation. very ie
wo minutes must have elapsed before the DO
or. shot up 10 us and took III and vet the spa'
lad seemed ntermlnabe During the latter pa
int of the time the cry " shark had lncklly bet
nd suppressed, for which was very grateful I
his dreaded the effect upon my brother eNcoe
. nply When we pot safe IN, he was ready
pummcl me for ,ormentng him; but when
:, ascertained the reason, he turned quite pa
' ''., and SICK 1t seemed that a boat, anchor
49, some ffly yards or 50 from ours, had hooked
large shark when We were about one third
our way back to the boat and the cries We
the for us to 90 back on shore, aud the boat wot
of come to us After a struggle, although I
, a hook and line was very strong, he had got g
to having bent, or rather Strengthened the iorn
ear while We were still some two hundred yaI
mi oil
tho When in Sydney, went one Sunday mo-
is inp To bathe. was accompanied b. iri,
who had Just arrived from the South Sea
Hands. He was very tlmld, and clung to
cr, rock. never gong beyond few yards from
,cl. and instantly returning. Upon ralyng hl
,,t- he confessed his great dread Of sharks.
surcd him m that harbor accidents never occ
red from any such cause which was certdlI
= correct, inasmuch as, up to that period, !
never h.erl Cf a. Ie,ss ha'as lt-S KY