The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-20
The Vitality OF the Shark.

lng snip Me-S"aht" for voyase on
Ship islap;is.
Among The passengers were DR.. Hook.
er, Lieute nant Prince and Emerson, and
the write; and We all witnessed the
scene am about to describe.
Early one morning, DR.. Hooker called
from the deck to us below that shark
was following the ship. We took this to
be practical Joke and did not muye
from our state rooms.
But when we d,1 go upon deck, about
six O'Clock, ire looked over the stern Of
the ship and there saw an enormous,
shovel-nosed shark following us, but
keeping his distance about two hundred
feet. Every person OH board was called
to look at the huge fish.
The old sea captain said it was no ln-
usal incident to have shark follow
ship FIR an entire voyage. They subsis,
largely OH the waste matter thrown over.
board and, AS they are very fast swim
mers, can always keep up with vessel
1t was proposed by Captain Lewis, one
Of the captains on board, to make an ef-
fort TO capture him.
We threw into the ocean pieces of
bread and other articles Of food, and
were greatly interested to see him eat
them. The ship was searched but there
was not harpoon to be found there
was not even a shark hook. The pros.
pect OF capturing this great fish was not
'ery bright. until Captain Lewis pro-
posed TO make moose and lower it down
iuto the water, and thus entangI. him.
But Sir Shark kept away fron. the rope.
then proposed to put pie"c of pors
big as my hand, on a common fish line,
and by little maneuverinf. of the bali
induce the fish to pass his head into the
moose. But he was vc.y cautious and
would not near the ship when lowered
the piece of ork, until two little pilot
fish, that rode ON his back, one on each
side Of the great fin, came forward and
inspected the bait, then returned and
took their places.
They had barely time TO finish this
action when the shark swan under the
stern OF the ship, and opening his pom.
dcrous jaws attempted to take the bait.
But beld it just above his nose, noting
he possessed no power to leap or jump
up as many fish do.
also watched with curious interest
the pilot fish,which, having performed
their Office, were now quietly clinging
beside the fin of his back.
While Captain Lewis was preparing o
moose which was to be slipped over the
sharks head, asked about the pilot fish.
Every shark has one," said the cap.
tain, "and sometim two and when the
shark Is without one he is shy and will
! seldom approach very near ship"
These pilot fish seemed to be fye or
six inches long, and of yellowiyh.
brown color, having longitudinal dark
strips on their sides and resembling much
the perch of New England ponds. It
seemed strang that 90 powerful fish
ahcn'a Place 80 much dependence on such
insignificant creatures.
The captain again lowered his rope,
but the current Of water drew it aside
and the attempt to entrsp the fish was
again failure.
Then, some one suggested holding the
moose open by retnining ii :::,;ieG' ia
hand, and when the shark put his head
over the rope in order to get at the pork
still dangling from the end of the little
line, to let the moose drop aud pull away
at the end till the large rope tightened
around his body. This was tried. but
the shark slipped out He was, however,
80 hungry that he Immediately returned,
and the maneuver was repeated, and with
success, the second time.
fne moment Captain Lewis got the
moose around his body, eight or ten per-
sons pushed away at the rope, and it was
hardly minute before it began to tight
on aTou1d the shark a0dyy, ha0ddyy aud, as Il d;d
80, it slipped down TO his tail ; and when
he felt it getting nnconfor.ably tight he
paid no more attention to the bait, bus
-urning slightly gave one flap with his
mighty tail that nearly took the whole of
US overheard. Captain Lewis, with the
rapldity almost of thought, made turn
OF the rope about fastening, but 80
powerful was tho fish that he seemed to
Fetard the movement of the ship, if
not to drag her backwards.
A large number of men now got hold
| OF the rope and succeeded in drawing
him out Of the water, and left him sus.
pended under the stern.
After the ahark had time to expire
for he never stirred after being pulled
out of the water-the sailors hitched a
tackle to him and swnng him around to
the side of the ship, where he remained
until nearly noon.time, when the sailors
got permission TO open him and take out
the blubber, which is charged with L.
that Is extremely serviceable about n
ship. This was found to contain several
pailsful of oil.
After dinner, one of the passengers,
DR.. Hooker. aignified his desire to have
the jaws Of the shark rs memento of
tue. unusual scene. So the great crea.
ture was drawn on deck and the roma
taken of.
Scarcely was this done, when, instead
of being dead, he was found TO be- 40
thoroughly alive that he cleared the deck
OF men in two moments; for as he com.
menced his contortions and twisting
about the deck, we all scampered to
places of safety.
His vitality struck US with wonder
aud alarm. He had hung On the outside
of the snip. in the broiling sun, during
more than half day. He had been de.
spoiled of portion of his vitalizing ap-
paratus yet now, after We had supposed
him dead for hours, we found him able
to keep the whole ships crew at bay.
The men soon commenced hostilitieg.
s1s atill for e. long time he was able to
maintain himself against great odds.
He bent his body aud with surprising
strength threw himself from side to eide:
and, as he did SO, he opened his huge
jaws and barely missed from time TO time.
aaisino nrr Iem- He showed snccessive
rows of sharp teeth, and by the aid of
his caftilagenous tail, he turned forward
and backward and obliquely along the
s.ooS, .Tis really s5rins Il empowered viii,
million lives.
For two full hours did the battle con-
tinue. At last thrust through The beart
was the finishing touch. He gave one
spring, twisting his body powerfully, and
fastened his great iaga ON n anar tbat