New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-09-28
up the ulluaA shark story.

strongly and ths afternoon MAS cool and refreshing
Don't misundeutand me; don't think twas REALLY
hsd 81 modifsd The sultry atmosphere Of The morn
Inc DE thermometer stood 1t 81 deg in the shade
We ala mot put on our dfees coats or black pants
slthough We were going TO visit 3 gentleman q &C
~ 1eany cutters. bat having duly encased our
s9vsSin suit Of clean white duck, and taking oul
coats to protect us from the chill Of the evening
Ne stepped into or little four-oared cutter, ani
srted for the river Nv little boat had always beer
Id The bow, Light and buoyant IS cork, and wa
without doubt regular clipper.
As We neared the bar could see the surf breaking
on it ID q remarkably unpleasant fashion. hat
heard Of the dangerous nature Of the entrance but
had not paid much heed to it thought it was onl,
tale to frighten youngsters and old women b6
when saw the immense breakers follow one ate
the Other dash on the bar, and then roll boiling ant
kissing right into the mouth Of the river, confess
altered my opinion, and looked on with something
like perplexity however, with such boat we hat
under Us, l did not fear.
We had not got far from the ship when the man a
the strokeoar called my attention to several boat
which had put off from ships in the feet:
g Something anss," said Tom Carey. Look ou
ahead, coxswain and see il you can make what it is
Can't see anything, sir, can you?
No. replied ~ yet can't see anything astern
I %ust sss e M sy say ny men, perhaps ts
AZ, ~ sir, you re right" broke in the coxswain
See there, in the way Of them two cocoanut trees
watch the next rollers and you'll see the poor fellows
holding ON to the boat
did see them, and knowing that the coast
swarmed With sharks, | saw at once that their only
chance 0f safety in case they escaped drowning and
got outside the surf was for us to reach them as
az they a clear Of it therefore urged my men to
put out 1ir strength they responded nObly to my
call ard We soon began to fly over the seas. race
like this-time against life or DEATHS most ex-
citing thing; and ~ we bounded over the waves q
multitude Of thoughts fitted through my brain. It is
perfectly astounding at what a rate the mind will
travel under such circumstances. Had our boat been
endowed with the same faculty the result might have
been different; but, as it was, she seemed to know
she was on an GRAND of mercy, for never saw her
! boat, was the same gig Of the Calcutta. Stout
arms and brave hearts propelled her with velocity
had never before witnessed; yet we were some dis
lance from the bar when we saw the boats come out
bottom upwards, and two Of them clinging to her.
Zone, two, three that makes five, sir,n said the
coxswain three more cleared the surf and struck
out for us. F;s
Thank God they're all safe, thus far" said /.
It's the Resolutions boat saw the captain and
bottle Of grog each when we we get on board
"Ay, ay, sir, said the young fellow who pulled
the stroke oar; never fear of that; but hang all
grog id such case as this
(" One, two, three, four-I can only see four" said
Carey cone poor fellows gone. What's that? A
shark! God help EN-"
The water foamed from our bows; Carey and
clutched the thwarts Of the boat; still we flew
onward.
81 Another shark" said Carey. "D'ye see him
coming down to windward +"
One, two, three-only three anotherpoor fellow
gone Give way my bonnies, rally again, all together;
We were now drawing coseto the boat one man
only remained in the water he struck out wildly
and then lifted up his hands mploringly sank, and
his faint cry for help was drowned in the surgng Of
the waters.
Way enough in bow; back WATER" said the
coxswain.
Carey, who had Invested himself of his jacket and
Shoes now Owed after him; he rose, supporting the
drowning man we hauled them on board Just then
a huge shark dashed past us. -
Thank God you are safe,n said I, squeezing my
friends hands. The two men who were taken off
the boat had sustained no damage but a good duck
ing. We learned from them that the first man who
went down was the captain and as he was striking
out strongly only few seconds before he sank in all
probability he was seized by shark, for neither he
nor the man ever rose again.
1t was melancholy termination to our first attempt
to go up the Uua, and felt the matter painfully at
the time, as understood that both the poor fellows
had wives, and the captain large family, to lament
their loss OF course, after such an occurrence it
was out OF the question to proceed our intended
voyage, and we therefore made our way back to the
ship.
cannot avoid relating an incident connected with
this sad scene which is strangely characteristic of the
superstition OF sailors. The boat in which the melan
choy accident occurred was strong and well built,
worth at least twenty pounds; yet after we had res.
cued the men off her there was not man in the fleet
who would touch her. and she was left to drift out to
sea. must say she had bad character having cap
sized in the same place on former voyage, and
drowned man.
When we got on board, the appearance of the sky
betokened one of those thunder storms which at this
season are common in these latitudes and we there.
fore made all snug for the night.
storm in the tropics is very grand, particularly in
the neighborhood Of high mountains the lurid light
ming plays among their tops the thunder, rumbling
and then bursting with terrific crash against their
sides, seems hurled back again with double violence
rain falling ia torrents-in sheets over everything
hangs black pail which is occasionally rent asunder
by forked lightning.
All this Is beautiful to contemplate under cover,
with pipe and strong tumbler of grog, but to
have been caught up the Uua without shelter would
not have heen pleasant. Snugly enseonsed in the
cuddyof good ship, I was fascinated Isat up till
the storm abated, smoked three Or four pipes and
then retired to my berth to be luled to sleep by the
distant thunder. ~