The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-03-19
FOLLOWED BY A BIG SHARK.
Not To Be Taken In by n Dummy--Greas-
ing a Yellow Dog for Bait.


In 1874 | was mate of coasting
schooner voyaging between Charleston,
Beaufort. Savannah, and other points
on the southern coast. She was built at
Charleston, and | went out on the first
voyage. The name of the captain was
Martin, an easy-going, good-natured
man, and we had three men before the
mast.
We left Charleston in the afternoon,
and We're scarcely clear of the bar when
n monster shark was observed in our
wake. There are always sharks in plenty
III Charleston harhor, and this chap
would not have received much notice ex-
cept for his size and the grim, persistent
manner in which he followed us. He
ranged up on the starboard quarter, not
more than ten feet away, and there he
stuck. When we had made our offing
and set our course, the captain deter
mined to get rid of the unpleasant visitor.
When a sailor secs shark following
his ship he feels as landsman would il
a wolf was pursuing his carriage. The
shark is there to eat you, if opportunity
occurs, and you feel spirit of revenge
stirring you up to get rid of him.
We had big shark hook on board,
and after the decks had been cleared we
brought it out, baited it with a chunk of
pork. and the morsel was dropped over
board and the rope paid out until the
pork was right at the sharks nose. He
refused to touch it, Sharks are always
hungry, and sharks aren't bit partiCu-
lar whether they eat pork or sailor but
this fellow seemed to know that we had
formed Il conspiracy to destroy him. We
made up dummy and carried it aloft
and heaved it overheard with great out
cry, but that trick also failed The
shark paid no attention to the splash,
but kept his wicked eyes on the man at
the wheel, and remained where we first
discovered him.
We had q slow passage down to the in
let, and as We entered it the shark sud
denly disappeared. We went up to
Beaufort, unloaded a part Of our cargo,
took on some cotton, and came down
again, and we had scarcely crossed the
bar when the big fish again took his po-
sition on the starboard quarter. 1t was
the same when we started into Savan-
nah, and the same at Brunswick, and we
uiopptu MN uSdlll Oh AHdIltSlon us We
returned after an absence of two weeks.
| We tried every way known to sailors TO
drive the fellow off, but he wouldn't
bulge, At Charleston the captain con-
suited a colored clairvoyant, and she sold
him about an ounce Of pink salve and
told him that he must buy yellow dog,
| grease its paws with the salye, and use
| the dog % halt the shark haok, hepaid ~
for the salye and was y whole day
| finding yellow dog, One was finally
discovered following oolored man
about, and an offer of s. made him our
dog, On this occasion we left Charles
ton just at daybreak, having been in the
harbor three days. As day fully dawned
we picked up our old enemy, and all
hands willingly turned up 10 see what
luck we would have with the new bait.
We creased the paws of the dog, and he
at once began To howl in the most dis
nal manner. You'd have believed from
his actions that he knew what was com.
ing. When we had lashed him fas. 20 the
hook we found that the shark had
neared the ship by several feet, and that
he seemed TO be a bit nervous.
Well, when all was ready over went