Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-04-28


through a mans skin if allowed to at
tach itself Eel like, they remain active
! for long time out OF their native ele-
ment, and can be made to adhere to any
object for many minutes. The writer,
on one occasion, tried the strength Of
one of them, about eighteen inches long
by allowing it to attach itself to gun
case, with double. barreled gun and
paraphernalia within Lifting the fish
by the tail it raised the gun-case easily,
and afterward bore the addition OF sew.
eral heavy 5ooks without giving way.
The appearance of the sucker is some
what like gridiron.
Sharks, though lot to be compared to
leg Of mutton, furnish by no means a
bad dinner to hungry man. The ne
groes in Central America consider
young sharks tail delicacy, a compli-
ment said not to be returned by the
shark. The writer has tried to satisfy
himself as to the accuracy of this legend
| in shark lore-namely, that it is only
under pressure of hunger that a shark
will banquet off negro, but has never
| been able to come to a conclusion from
the evidence, as there are numerous in.
stances of dinner off negro being pre-
ierred when the shark had his choice
Thus it happened once at Greytown on
the Mosquito Coast in Central America.
A large lie boat crossing the bar of the
San Jnan river, upset, precipitating the
crew, consisting of the white officers and
ten colored men, into the water, the boat
being turned upside down. 4" | felt"
SAYS the narrator, :" that my life was not
worth half an hours purchase. The
coxswain of the boat, weakly black
man, rose alongside OF me after the
plunge; he was in great terror, and | felt
that even if the sharks did not harm
him, he could scarcely reach the shore
| without help, so | encouraged him by
telling him would swim by his side and
give him hand if he felt tired. No
tired, massa neber lib to be tired; look
at dem round us.
81 felt that he was about as near the
truth as possible, for we were literally in
the center OF shoal of sharks, whose
black triangular fins we could see on all
sides sailing around us. As the beach
was quite close, we first endeavored to
make that, but soon discovered that the
current was SO strong that we made no
headway; and we were forced to turn to-
ward the boat, which was hundred and
fifty yards away, drifting out to sea,
turned upside down, with the rest Of her
crew astride of her keel. There was
nothing, however, but to swim to her;
and aided by the strong current we soon
shortened the distance. All this time the
sharks were around us, making, fan
cied, smaller circles, and once or twice
thought | felt something touch my feet
with a rush, as these horrid brutes do
before they bite; if it was my imagina
ton, it was not great stretch, however,
for we had not got twenty yards ahead
OF the spot when my companion shrieked,
threw up his arms and disappeared be-
meath the waves. A rush of black fins,
and their sudden disappearance under
water, was the last thing remember,
until found myself alongside our ship,
in the cutter, which had been sent to the
rescue.
Considering the foolhardy rashness Of
the negroes in bathing, it is surprising
how comparatively few accidents hap
pen. Dive for sixpence, massa," into
water where sharks have been seen the
same morning; however, he will never
venture in after dark Sharks, like
many other fish, bite more freely in the
night; in fact, sharky water, where the
fish are shy, and bathing is compare
lively free from danger during the day,
cannot be entered after uightfall with
out very great risk, the more especially
that at night sharks will, like trout,
prowl about shallow water barely suti-
cient to cover them The writer recol
lects at Colon two stokers of the small
steamer Tyne taking f0recastle leave
one night The ship was warped along
side the wharf, and these two meR crept
along one of the hawsers, hand over
foot, to reach the wharf The first got
over safely, but the second slipped and
fell into the water Not at all fright
ened. he, in a low voice, told his com
panion to lower him rope frem the
wharf; but he had scarcely spoken when
he disappeared and did not rise again.
A sharks stomach to a sailor is a
matter of extreme interest. Let's see
what's inside of him, is Jacks first
thought when the monster lies dead on
the deck; though Jack is invariably
disappointed Of finding treasure-a sill
yer watch, for instance, would fill his
soul with pleasure The ultimate utili-
cation of the shark in his hands is TO
make a skeleton OF the jaws, and
walking stick of the spinal column.
That sharks will attack large boats
bodily is well known Tampico, on the
coast of Mexico, is a place well known
to sailors as famous for the most villain
ous of sharks. A large one on one oc-
casion attacked ships boat entering
the river, and shook it so as to be felt
OF course the story was pooh poohed,
ON being related by the officer in charge
on his return to the ship; but shortly
after, when the boat was hauled up to the
davits. sharks teeth we're found stuck
fast on each side of her keel. Possibly,
this shark was relation to the owner
of the skeleton which adorns the Uni
ted States Service Museum, which is
said to have nearly swallowed boat.
As write these lines sitting under the
awning on deck, dead, hot calm after
broiling day, the ship swinging lazing
10 the current Of the Tampico river, |
hear a loud splash rush to the side