The Progress., 1892-09-17

sharks were cutting the water around us.
We came to anchor about 10 o'clock il
the morning. The Javanese had made
camp just opposite where we lay, and aftel
| bit three OF them came off to us in n sam
| pan. When informed of the object of oul
| presence they informed us that they had
| already lost three of their number through
| the righteousness of the monsters gliding
about. A party were fishing in the sam
pan just outside the coral reef, when a
huge shark leaped out Of the water and
fell upon the gunwale OF the sampan and
upset her. The men were dragged down
ut once, while the tide carried the craft to
the beach. The natives remained with us
an hour or so, and when ready to depart
became so ratified at the number of sharks
in sight That we lowered n boat and rowed
them ashore. During the forenoon we
cleared up the decks and made everything
snug, and no fishing was done until after
dinner. We began operations with the
lances. There WAS no need to throw any
thing overheard to bring the sharks within
striking distance. The sight Of a man on
the rail acted like magic. | myself threw
the first lance and wounded the first fish.
You could not have counted ten from the
to seize him. He was a big fellow, and
the wound had inflicted was trifling, but
he was set upon by dozen or more and
eaten alive inside OF sixty seconds. The
Same fate awaited every other one wound
ed, and such was the rushing and swirling
that our decks were wet with the spray
thrown on board. 1t was two hours before
the school got enough of it, and in that
time believe we caused the death OF more
than half hundred. Those who had not
been wounded ate their fill and left dozen
half eaten bodies floating about u.s. Joseph
went about rubbing his hands in pleased
way, and | saw him smile for the first time
since the accident of months before
When turned out on the second morn
ing the sea was like glass and not shark
fin in sight. Before breakfast had been
dispatched there were ut least hundred
around US. The furnace for heating bricks
was lighted. and about 9 o'clock we were
ready to give the crowd n surprise. II may
seem cruel piece of business to some, and
they had best skip the next few lines
Joseph had purchased a great lot Of native
grass cloth at the Cape. 1t was now cut
into pieces about two feet square and put
to soak. About fifty bricks were placed
to heat, and when IA hot as fire could |
make them they were lifted out with |
tongs, the wet cloth wrapped around them |
and secured with turn of small stuff, |
and the food" was tossed over the rail |
In Us many as seven or eight instances |
saw the brick caught before it touched the /
water. In other cases five or six fish |
rushed for it at once. A dozen bricks had |
been gulped down before we witnessed |
any results, and then they were startling
The first had been swallowed by shark
about twelve feet long. He suddenly
Jumped almost his full length out OF
water, and then went dashing about in
The most frantic manner. In n minute or
TWO he had plenty Of company, and the
,cean around US was set boiling by the
movements Of the school. Some ran out
% sea, some upon the reef. and others
'wam In circles Of which the brig was the
;enter and finally turned belly ND and
lied. Those who failed to get one of the
bricks finally became alarmed and disap-
'eared, nor did we see another fin until
'clock In the afternoon. Then, ms I hap
'ened to glance over the port quarter,
aw hammerhead about two feet below
he surface. While this species Is not
more voracious than either the white or
he blue shark, he is the most repulsive
lsh Of the sea. No old sailor can look at
linn even from the deck of a ship without
shudder. When | had reported the
presence Of this monster 1t was determined
capture him and have him On deck. A
ook was got out and baited, the section
bulwarks removed and the bait flung
yer. He seized it on the instant, and "A
harp pull at the rope fastened the hook
4 his NAV. The strength of the fellow
'as amazing and it was nearly m hour
efore we had him on deck. After he had
cen killed his stomach was examined.
nd among other articles discovered was
old pistol, which perhaps the French I
aptain had tossed overheard. The length
the shark was IS feet 9 inches. His
Tvs had spread Of three feet and more,
nd he could Have bolted nail key as
'sy a. man could swallow kernel of
,rn.
We remained at the Cocos for twenty
70 days, and each day for the first two
eeks was a slaughter. After that our
icy began to grow scarce, and during the
st two days we did not see a shark.
'ough we sailed all around the islands.
'seph kept the tally every day us near as
Q could come at it, and when we sailed
way for Christmas island, which was
rectly In our path to the Java coast, he
cured up something like 600 OF the mon