Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-26
Catching a shark.


In 1874 was mate OF a coasUing schooner
voyaging between Charleston, Beaufort. Sa-
vannah, and other points on the Southern
coast. She was built at Charleston, and l
went out on the irst voyage. The name of
her Captain was Martin. an easy going, good
natured man, and we had three men before
the mast
We left Charleston in the afternoon, and
were scarcely clear of the bar when a mon
ster shark was observed in our wake. There
are always sharks in plenty in Charleston
harbor, and this chap would not have receiv-
ed much notice except 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 determined to get rid
ofthe unpleasant visitor. When a sailor sees
shark 10 blowing his ship he feels as a lands
man would II wolf WAS pursuing his car
rage. The shark Is there to eat you, II oD-
portunity'occurs,, and you feeta spirit of re-
venge stirring you to get rid of him.
We had a big shark hook on board. and
after the decks had been cleared we brought
1T out, baited it with a chunk OF pork, and the
morsel was dropped overheard 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
particular whether they eat pork or sailor,
but this fellow seemed to know that we had
formed conspiracy to destroy him. We
made up dummy and carried it aloft and
heaved 1t overheard with great cutlery, but
that trick also failed. The shark paid no at
tentlOn to the splash, but kept his wicked eyes
on the man at the wheel, and remained where
we first discovered him.
We had a slow passage down to the inlet,
and Ms we entered it the shark suddenly dis
| appeared. We went up to Beaufort, unloaded
part of our cargo, took on some cotton, and
| came down again, and we had scarcely crossed
| the bar when the big 6sh again took his posi-
| ton on the starboard quarter. 1t was the
| same when we went into Savannah, and the
same at Brunswick, and we dropped him
off a vVpr af n
| absence of two weeks. We tried every way
known to sailors to drive the fellow of, but he
| wouldn't bulge. At Charleston the Captain
| consulted coiored clairyoyant, and she sold
| him about an ounce of pink salve and told
| him that he must buy a yellow dog,
| grease its paws with the salve, and
US use the Dog to bait the shark hook He paid
| 81 for the saive, and was whole day
| finding yellow dog. One was finally discov-
| cred following a colored man about, ana an
| ofer-Of So made him our dog. On this Occa-
sion we left Charleston just at day break, kav-
| ing been in the harbor three days. As day
| fully dawned we picked up our old enemy,
| and all hands willingly turned up to see what
| lHck we would have with the new bait. We
| creased the paws Of the dog, and he at once
| began TO howl in the most dismal manner.
| You'd have believed from his actions that he
| knew what was coming. When we had dashed
| him fast to the hook we found that the shark
| had neared the ship by several feet, and that
| he seemed to be bit nervous.
| Well, wnen all was ready over went the dog.
ana ne nad scarcely touched the water when
/ the shark mad him. He had dog, hook, and
| all at one snap. and started to make skip
/ when the hook brought him up. We took the
| llne'to the capstan and walked the old chap
| alongside, and when we had his head out OF
water we fred two charges of buckshot into
| it. We then drew him inbOard and finished
him of, and after breakfast we fell to and slit
| HIM open to zee what sort of cargo he carried.
/ There was the dog swallowed almost W hole, q
| human hand, beef bone, the heel of a boot, a
| pint bottle, feet Of small chain, a score Of
| buttons. a silver plated table knife, and iron
| spoons. and several other trfes which he had
/ picked up while cruising around and waiting
/ for us to come out. We hove him over after
the examination, and though the schooner
/ ran on that same route for the ensuing IL
| months. none OF us sighted a shark, large or
small. The grea ed dog business seemed to
| have given tue whole fraternity valuable
/ hint.