New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-03-16
Afa.car,s Combat With n shark.

.he Sea, by Hector A. STUART
We had not long come into the rOatstead
al Madras when a circumstance occurred
which can NOT help relating. There was
Lascar on our ship who was very expert
in handling a catamaran. q kind OF raft
made OF three sticks of wood dashed t0getu'
or. and used in the surf, which in this place
rolls in very heavily. This man had little
child. q hoy Of eight years, and while We
Law hero he would take this boy and show
him how 10 handle the catamaran, II beng
his intention 10 bring tho lad up 10 thu.
pursuit.
Now i: happened one morning that. going
out very early. even before the day hau
sprung. tho catamaran ran foul 81 palm.
which was washing ashore. and overset,
throwing the man and the boy into the
water. The man rose easily enough, for he
swan like duck. and made for the raft.
which he had scarce reached when he saw a
huge shark seize the child and make 10 sea
with his prey.
The man. as may be supposed, was nor.
rfed at the SIGHT, and for moment daZed:
but he soon recovered, and drawing long
knife which he carried in his cummerbund,
plunged after the shark. ! was on the
beach at the time, and saw the whole affair
The man disappeared, but rose again. the
shark near him, and both apparently en-.
gagged in d desperate conflict. This lasted
several minutes. The water then began to
grow red; the man rose two or three times
in Quick succession. his knife still in his
hand, and striking with great force and
energy.
This continued several seconds. Then the
shark rose suddenly, and throwing its huge
form half way out of the spray, sank with
heavy plunge, dyeiDg the water. with a
deep crimson as he disappeared. looked
now anxiouslv for the man, and seeing no
sign of him, thought he bad shared the fate
of his adversary; but presently he came 20
10 the surface, and swan directly for the
shore. He was very much exhausted, but
his body was without wound-a strange
circumstance. seeing the danger he had eE'
countered.
After he had rested, asked him TO relate
the particulars OF his combat with the sea
monster, which he did. He said that as
soon as he plunged into the water he saw
the shark in the act of devouring the child;
that be made toward it and gave i: stroke
with his knife; that the shark turned and
snapped at him. but he. diving, evaded its
Jaws. and coming up under its belly gave IL
a stab. and the knife running along pro.
duced a wound over yard in length, which,
in short, made an end Of the monster. On
receiving this wound it ragged about in
furry for a few seconds, then, careening on
lIS SlQe, UfllItu al tIlc mercy VI tue waves,
a mere piece of hfeless matter.
Such was the story of this brave mans
encounter. While we we're talking, heard
great clamOr among some of the Massvo-
lab beatmen ON the beach, and sent one of
our men 10 learn it's occasion. lie came
back with the tldiDgs that the shark had
come ashore and the noise we heard pro-
ceeded from the natives, who were amazed
at it's size, which was indeed enormous,
and the number Of wounds which it had
received: on hearing this I proceeded to.
ward the place where it was stranded.
taking the Lascar with me, who by this
time had thoroughly yegained his energies.
We approached the monster. 1t lay on
its side among lot of seaweei, the blood
still oozing from the wounds with which its
body was covered. The size, as have OBJ
served. was surprising. had seen sharks
o. large proportions, but they were small
compared 10 this creature. / did not
measure il carefully. but il was near thirty
feet in length. and as big round as the
main mast of our ship. 1t had made bold
defense. and was not conquered till its life
pushed out from multitude of wounds.
After satisfying my curiosity | had the
monster opened, when CHASTITY spectacle
was presented. The child was found in its
stomach, but utterly dismembered, the head
being severed from the body, and the whole
80 ground together as TO be scarce recog.
nizable. ! was greatly overcome at this
melancholy sight: even the apathy of the
HindOo gave way, and as he gazed on the
remains o: his child his sorrow burst forth
n loud lamentations.
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We copy the following from the Wash
iEgtOn Chronicle:
The Chicago Tit,tnc says that 1.-The Presi.
dent proposes 70 be governed by Durell's
judicial orders" The President proposes
no such thing. He proposes, until Congress
directs otherwise. to recognize the State
administration recognized by TIE Supreme
Court of Louisiana. Kellogg's administra.
ton is no longer dependent upon any action
of Judge Durell. He merely held the hands
of War1nOth and spurious board until the
board subsequently, recognized by the court
as having legal power in the premises could
count the vote and DECLARE the result.
1t is true that board did not get posses.
sion OF the returns. They are not to be
blamed for that. They tried hard enough
TO do so. They took the best data they had
and declared the result. In SO doing they
mag have proceeded in the dark, disre-
garded all presidents, and violated right.
We are not disposed to question a fact so
well established by the Investigations OF
the Senate committee. But the President
can not set aside the action of the board.
nor can he disregard the action of the court.
When Governor Kellogg calls upon him
for aid. as ne has done, he must disregard
the law as defined by the Supreme Court of
the United States if he refuses aid, however
much he may desire to be relieved of re-
sponsiblity II the premises. Congress
knew wha: he had done and what he pro.
posed 20 o.. !: called to present any other
course
~. Louis Steamboat News.
The s.. Lows PcpuJlica,.s Of Thursday
says:
The Mohawk flowed up two barge. con.
q; -lN 20 of uailrnaA iron Shl. w Ill