The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-10-12
FISHING FOR SHARKS.
Methods Adopted for Capturing
the Brutes.
Uses Made of the Skin and Flesh-Soup That
Is Superior to That Made From
the Luscious Turtle.

In a sailor boarding-hpu on Jackson
street is an old tar who has spent three
years aboard q shark-h unter, and to a re-
porter he related, few days ago, how the
monsters are caught, and the various uses
TO which they are put.
Most of the vessels engaged IN the bust
ness are schooners of from sixty to 100 tons
burden, and carry crew OF about ten men.
They are manned, as rule, by natives Of
the South Sea Islands, who seem to take a
delight in making war on the terrible
bruteS that frequent the ocean in which
their island homes are situated.
The length of the trip depends ON the
success met with; and it is rare to hear of
shark-hunter making trip that does not
pay. The men work on shares, like a
whaler'S crew. but the work is not nearly
so hazardous or tires ONE.
The apparatus used in catching sharks
consists of a number of stout half barrels,
well hooped, large shark-htok attached to
stout chain fifteen or twenty feet long,
and red or white flag for each barrel.
READY FOR THE FRAY.
On reaching the fishing grounds. the
hooks are baited with piece of fat pork as
large rs a mans head the chain is fastened
to a barrel, and topped off by flag on a
staff five or six feet long. This rig is
dropped over the side and left to drift
around on the surface. Ona after the other
the barrels are dropped overheard until the
entire number are In use, and then the crew
get the boats ready for the work of getting
the big fish alongside the schooner.
Sometimes the tempting bait may float all
day unnotced by the sharks, and often
weeks are spent without single fish being
taken, while at other times the ocean seems
fairly alive with hungry monsters, and the
bait IS swallowed aimoStaS soon As 1t strikes
the water.
After all the traps, as they are called, are
set sharp lookout is kept on the flags, and
as soon as fish Is hooked a boat starts in
pursuit. No sooner does the yOracious
monster swallow the bait and feel the hook
than the fun begins The nrst thing he
does Is to dlYe, and TO do this he must drag
the barrel down with HIM, but he soon finds
that he cannot go very far, and he is forced
to the surface by the buoydncy of the barrel.
Sometimes instead Of diving he goes off
along the surface. dragging the barrel after
MIN, darling IN every direction to rid HIM
sell OF the impeachment The harder he
struggles the sooner comes the END, and at
last the brute browns himself in his efforts
To escape. The boatthen picks up the bar
rel and with the shark in tow starts for the
vessel, and in a short time the fierce tiger of
the sea is lying on the schO0neI's Geek
ready 10 be cut up.
HIS VARIOUS USES.
If the brute is still alive when the boat
reaches him he is dispatched with a long
lance, similar In form 10 that used BY
whalers. The largest portion of sharks
internal economy is the liver, and this alone
pays for the work OF capturing the fish.
The liver from a large shark will often fill
a couple OF goods ized barrels, and will turn
out over barrel of oil. The skin is taken
from the carcass and Is dried and makes a
good substitute for emery cloth. One species
of the fish furnishes great delicacy that the
Chinese are always willing 10 pay high
price Tor and that is the fin. These are
taken from the fish, the skin removed, after
which they are dried and packed in bales.
The Celestials make soup of them, and it is
stated by white men who have eaten it TO be
superior to that made from turtles.
Shark-hunting Is, as may be expected, at
tended with some danger, as the boats are
often surrounded by tie fierce bru;es and
more than once they have been known to
jump into and capsiZe a boat, and before
help could arrive the entire crew had disap-
peared.