The Republican journal., 1877-01-11

But Sue Went on--"l'll drink a health
to MI mother-in-law with all my heart
"Lono may she wave !" choruscd Harry.
About Sharks.
From Chambers journal!
The shark tribe are remark ably reten-
tive OF life, and instances are related
which would be almost beyond belief, il
not youched for BY numbers Of witnesses.
For instance, an individual was caught
with a line; its liver was cut out, and the
bowels left hanging from the body. in
which state the sailors, as an object of ab-
horrence, threw it into the saa But it
continued near tile boat; and not long
atterWard it pursued and attempted to de-
vOur a mackercl that had escaped from
The net. In another instance. 4 shark was
thrown overheard after the head had been
severed from the body alter which, for 4
couple of hours, the body continued to
use the effort of swimming in various di-
rections--to employ the conjecture Of u
boy among the crew--as il it We're look
ing for its head Next. we have the
thrasher. which has obtained the name OF
toX-shark, because OF the shape of its tail.
The title Of thrasher, however, is most ap-
propriate from its habit of lashing the
sea With its tail by which it has been
known to put to flight Il herd of sportve
lolphins, and even to fill the whale with ter
ror. The porbeagle is another Of the shark
tribe, and is a common visitor on the
western coasts in summer Then follows
that too plentiful and rapaciou5 fish, the
topper, known likewise as the white hound
Il, Il !
it swms deep, it does not do SO much in
jury to the fshermen's nets as some of its
congeners. Then we have the smooth
hound, OF rav-mouthed dog, OF skate
tootheI>shalk, which are presumed to
come from considerable distances, from
the kind Of hooks sometimes found in
them which resemble those used on the
coast OF Spain. They feed upon crustace-
Gus animals, bnt will take bait The
pickeddog, spur-dog, or bonedog, but
commonly known As the dog-lish, is the
smallest but unquestiOnably the most nu-
merous Of the shark tribe. Ii trequents
our coast all the year round and even in
the severest weather, Then there are the
spinous shark, and Greenland shark. which
will not be driven away from feeding up
on the blubber of 4 stranded, halt-lm-
mersed whale, although pierced with
spears, but come again to the oleag
banquet while a spark of life exists. The
basking- shark also, occasionally casts up
on our coasts. 1t is of Il large size. is
capable Of breaking u siX-inch hawser
and IS only taken with considerable diff
Guilty Then we have the rashleigh shark,
the broad headed gazer, and the hammer
Il l,l }.rh ,i,I, l1O
to complete the list Of these occasional
unwelcome visitors TO our shores.
And now that we have said 50 much that
is prejudicial to the Squalidm or shark
community. let Us see what we have us 4
set-otf in their favor. AS a food for man,
the topper is found exposed for sale in the
markets at Rome and in Paris, that city
of gastronomy, the small kinds of shark,
when divested Of THEN tantalizing titles,
are detected as entrees in the menu OF
the most distinguished families For some
years, the dog-tish has afforded lucrative
employment during the whole of the sum
mcr to the fishermen from the Maze to the
Cape, 1t lS however, mostly smoked, and
in this way is considered rather a deiicacy.
1t is also dried and split as stock-tish for
consumption in the country, as we'll as for
exports to Sweden, where it is greatly ap-
preciated 1t is likewise elsewhere 4 COM
mon article of food, amid the choice of Il
variety Of other fish, especially in the west
of England, and indeed, is valued by
some who are far above the necessity of
chasing it with their ordinary articles OF
subsistence. 1t is used both fresh and salt
ed, but when eaten fresh, it IS skinned be-
tore being cooked, LAcipede. who speaks
sightingly of its flesh, informs us that, in
the north Of Europe, the eggs, which are
about the size Of a small orange, and con-
sist solely Of n pale-colOred yolk, are in
high esteem ii prejudice could be GOT
over, there is no doubt they would form an
agreeable as well as u nourishing article
of food, as L substitute for other eggs in
our domestic economy
The shark fishery is carried on in many
parts OF the Indian Ocean, and on the
eastern coast of Africa, and recently it has
been pursued on the coast OF Norway
About kurrachee, in India, as many as
40, 900 sharks are taken in the year. The
back-tins are much esteemed as q food de-
icacy in China, from 1000 to 10000 oil
these being shipped to that empire annual
ly from Bombay In Norway and Iceland
the Inhabitants use of every species cap
tured, hanging up the carcasses for 4
whole year. like hams. that the flesh may
become mellow. The liver. however, ap
pears to be strictly prohibited everywhere
as II dangerous article OF food.
Mr.. n. Brabazon, in his FISHERIES OF
Ireland" :" in allusion to the large shoals Of
sharks which pass annually along the wes
I,n tf
the northern seas, speaks particularly o
the basklng shark: These fish are worth
from t3j to $50 each; and when so many
as five hundred have been killed in one
season, this class of fishing should be wei
attended to for the short season it lasts. il
the weather is favorable to it, especially
as it is at time when other fish are Out
of season. The fishermen have a super
sttion that the fish will leave the coast i
the bodies OF those caught were brought
to the shore" Mr.. Z. J.. Simmons, in hi:
Waste Products and Undeveloped Sub
Stances" gives almost incredible statistic:
of the amount of fish-retuse which is either
left to rot on the coasts and putrety the air
or thrown back into the sea unutilzeC
both on our own and on foreign shores
and he significantly points to its value as ;
manure not far inferior to guano, of which
this country alone requires 200, 900 tons 6
year, and pays upward of t22 100000
Would it not, therefore, be wise for enter
prise and capital to begin to turn more at
tention to the manufacture of tish-guano
of which the debris Of the North American
fisheries, and those of the North Sea, woul'
furnish ample material?
| Asa is the name of an honorable house-ca
living near South Carver, Mass. His guar
dans were saved from abject poverty by Asa's
curiosity, which led him to drag an old stock