The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-14
No One Down There Ever Misses a
Chance to Kill q MAN.
Eater.
Methods Employed to Catch Them
In the Sea and From the
Pier.
Very Great JOY of tho Natives Over tho
DeAth OF Ono OF the Natural
Enemies.
Written for TIE HELENA INDEPENDENT,

SV1VG ulty QAaS W MI - Avn 0h>
oxayo ever does. The waters were full
of them. Every now and then
somebody would hs killed by q man -eater-
quite frequently enough to give \ fierce zsst
to the sport.
There were two or thras ways OF catching
the terrible creatures. l.
We would tie a rope fifteen or twenty
feet long around q small barrel that had
been we'll plugged up and made water
tight; 10 the end OF tho rope We fastened a
short chain, to which was welded a large
steel hook. bsitsd with dried ~ash-saltsd
hake we found the best. Several of these
c%ontrivanoos would be made ready. Then,
loading them aboard the ysehs, We would
start for the noted shark ground just out
aide the bar, always accompanied by the
rpod wishes of all the boAtmen and loung-
sss on She dock.
As soon a. We we're fairly under way the
excited anticipation OF rsvenge on n relent-
less and natural eutemy easily broke through
she sequirsd seien.nity aHeeted by the crew
Of the boat {they considered themselves far
superior to the rsat of the blacks. as our
Yacht was the fase.st in the harborl. and
shsy would chatter, dance and sing. Every
tAw minutes one of them would come run
mag SIT. has bsre fSs stopping the deck
like hRnd-claaniRg> and excltedly relate
some bad deed Of some noted shark. and
~prophesy that We would certainly catch him
this time. Than in iva minutes there would
be almost a fight forward as to how the
ahark was to be divided. where hs was to
be exhibited, how many people would come
TO see him, etc, until / would have to go
to still the disturbances. and suggest that
the settlement Of ali these questions had
better be left until we had caught the
shark; this would instantly restore good
nature.
On arrival at tho grounds the casks and
lines would be thrown overheard a hundred
wards apart. Then he would cruise around
and await Developments; II We were for
tunate one OF the barrels would presently
begin to bob around at a great rate; soma
times disappearing under the water and re-
appearing at a distance, the barrel being too
buoyant for the shark to keep it under.
Then the chase! Backward and forward,
in circles and winding lines, We would pur-
sue the elusive cask until success crowned
cur efforts and we could dag our fish
alongside. Sometimes listle, sometimes
big, but any shark was always welcome on
deck.
Evenings we ashed for them off the gov
ernment wharf; bat then tie method was
different. An inc line. over 800 feet long,
the same kind of hook and chain as We
used on tho yacht and bsited in the same
manner; but now we tied one end Of the
rope around the flagstaff. and throwing the
w~ell-baited hook a few yards way into the
middle Of a patch Of moonlit sand in four
or five feet OF water, we would coil the re-
mainder of the line SO thSt it could run
freely, and then make ourselves comforta-
BILE. We never waited long. That was a
very ~favorits place with the sharks, and we
always had good sport.
Soon = dark object would glide silently
as a shadow across the moonlit spot OF
naD1. fbon II would chack ito noioa1nas
movement, then. after a moments hesita-
ton, approach the bait. OF course We all
sat still as statues. Slowly the thing would
move of, and the raspinR of the ropo over
the string piece of the wharf would tell us
that it had the hook in its NAV; theu-not
grasping it. run a few steps in the other
direction. I say = few steps, for Rener-
ally the rope would be torn out of our
hands as the shark felt the hook and threw
himself out of water In an effort to get rid
of it.
For a few moments the water would be
cut into foam as the taut line would be
drawn whizzing through it. AS soon as We
thought the shark was tired We would take
hold Of the line and try to draw him up to
the little beach alongside of the wharf.
Then the procession commenced. First We
would pull the shark up close to the shore
and think We had him. but just as often he
would haul US to the waters edge, and we
had to let go in u hurry to avoid a ducking.
Sooner or later, however, We would get him
to the shallow water. Then he would
splash and fight. In a few minutes we
would get hin up on the sand. Then a
shot through the backbone where the head
joins the body would settls him. The
largest shark va caught was thirteen feet
long-plenty big enough to have on the end
Of a line. I assure you.
One day We we're sailing among the tout
islands," when we noticed a small spong.
ing sloop in distress. We ran down to her
and found that one of her crew had fallen
overheard, and that as he took hold of the
Munwale to pull himself aboard q shark had
made a dash at him and bitten one of hi:
legs clean off: thu man had died in a few
1ninutes. Next day that shark was on exit
bition, having been caught by the com.
rades of the dead sailor; it measured owe,
sixteen feet in length.
None OF the white people would &c il
swimming, unless in protected places. Blu
the negroes daily followed their avocationI
of sponging and gathering sea curiosities-
work that required them to be CONSTANT,
under water-without any apparent fear
although they we'll knew the danger.
The negroes u the shark inveterately
and take such revenge ns they ean-tha
is, they eat him when other food is sea, &C
and uso his skin as a substitute for files
At their work they keep a sharp lookou
for his three-colnered dorsal I'm that, show
ing above the surface of the water, give
timely notice OF his approach, and the
generally manage to get out of the way 0
the great, mu.derous mouth, with its tire
rows of cruel teeth.
LIEUT.. L. +. FREMONT.
Copyright.