The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-05-22

- ''''''t 'h' Slidii waves WdSilcu ABOUT INV
head, and forced me to swim on nv side or
back, to avoid their spla>hing in nv face ::
owing to this. did not hear the shoutin"
which had for some moments. in fact. been
kept up by those we had left in the boat
The first word did hear distinctly was ter
rlblc One-"Shark '" and at the same instant
saw those in the boat all standing up and
waving their hands, the old gentleman >l,ak-
Ing his umbrella in a very emphatic manner
| turned myself quickly round in the water.
have SAID before the SIN was nearly down ::
IT is not surprising then that, sprinrn- up as
did, the shadow of NV head and shoulders
should startlc one so suddenly alarmed rs I
was Down | went As quickly as possible
for the only chance Won have with shark is
to get below him: and if Won can reach the
bottom. TO kick mp dust there. and, under
cover of the rlou'i raised. to swim IN another
'lre"tl"n saw nothing however. except
the white lc@> and body of NV brother. who
WIS ahout thirty wards behind me when |
went down; and came up again. lie had
seen nlc 90 down. and asked me the reason
for dong it. I was glad To find that he had
not heard the cries from the boat. for he was
a tImid lad. and feared the effects upon him.
kept constantly before him. Splashinc the
water IN his face. and shouting until he cot
INTO towering passion. This was what
wanted for his attention was drawn from the
boat. III" agony Of those moments | shall
never forget: did not know the exact ma
turc Of the intimaton which was wished 70 he
gwen US. hcyonI the simple fact that il was
connected with the dreaded shark. Every
moment expected 10 see the halcfn shadow
-lIh" swiftly towards rs and in IMAGINATION
| felt myself hut II is useless 10 a..rmrt de-
>rihn- what was the nature of INV fcelinrs
They Were. in fact. all swallowed up in on,
sentiment of terrific expectation A yer,
few minutes must hav" elapsed before the
hoat shot mp 10 us and took lis in: anil We,
the space seemed imt-rminahle. Dnrinr IN,
latter part of the time thr rrv of shark" hal
luckily l"cn suppressed. for which | was very
grateful: for | Dreaded the effect uI,nn m,
brother exceedingly. When we got >af;. in
hc was ready 10 rummcl me for ,ormcntne
him: Int when he a>rcrtaincd the reason. h,
turned quite pale AMI sick II seemed that A..
boat. anchored some fifty wards or 50 from our,
had hooked lar.r shark when we were A.
hout ON" third of or WAY back 10 the boat
and the cries were for us to 90 hack Ia the
shore and the boat would come 70 rs. After
4 stru@@lc. although the hook and line were
very strong, he had cot off. having bent or
rather s,raghtcnrd the former. while We
were still some two hundred wards off.
When IN sydney went one SUNDAY MORN
ing 10 haihr was accompanied hv friend
who had Just arrived from the South Sea L.
lands. He was very timid. and clung to III,
rock. never gong hcvond a few yards from it
and instantly returning. Upon rallvin. him.
he confessed his "rcat dread of sharks. rs
Surcd him that in that harhor. acclcnts ncv-
or occurred from anv such cause: which was
certainly correct. ina>much as. mp to that pc
riod. | had never heard of any person having
been killed in it: and in the l,ars close to thc
town, should suppose that sharks scarcely
ever come. being III that respect very differ
cnt from the West Indies or the coast of Al:
rica. | took nv usual swim out for twent,
minutes ar 81. anl returned home On thai
same dav. as | was walking with another
friend. after the morning service I cnn>tahl,
tourhrd him upon the shouldrr. and pressed
his services a> a iur,man (" serve ON an in
quest then about being held uron the hnl,
of a man that no"rnjDg LiN.h kg sbHrl. W.
found the poor fellow with terrible wound
extending from the upper part Of the thigh tc
the knee the flesh hcinr in fact. cnirrl,
stripped from the bone. He was convict
who hal been confined in Cockatoo Island 4
station for prisoners. situated alnout eight
miles from sydney higher NJ the harhor. and
further from the sea than the spot where
hathed that morning. The circumstances at
tending the accident were peculiar. lie and
some other prisoners had received permission
to hathc: he being the frs, stripped. jumped
into the wafer. which in every part of the
harbor of Sydney. and the coast generally. Is
deep. being in that respect very unlike the
shelving coasts of this country H. had nat
SWAN more than few wards before one of the
>kulkinc ground sharks had him fast hv the
upper part of the thigh. One of his comrades
in the most gallant manner jumped in and
seized hold of him. and after struggle. in
which all the flesh was stripped off, the poor
fellow was got on shore: but the great artery
of the thigh was severed. and he was alrcad,
dead
! Another case. somewhat similar to the above
took place in remote part of the coast of
Australia some years previous to 1T. Long
will the catastrophe be remembered by Snr-
rowing friends in that part of the world, al
though many years have passed away since ii
occurred : for unlike the last case. the victim
was not an outcast from societv, a convict
looScd from his chains for a few moments. hur
voung and fair lad, the pride Of his fond
mother, who had, by singular fatality. lost
her husband and several other members of