The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-03-29
SHARK SHOOTING IN THE ORIENT.
Hunters Witness a Strange Battle Be
tween "Tigers of the Deep"

"Our arrival was hailed with delight
by the crew of the lightship, who
placed the cabin at our disposal. and
we turned in early" says writer in
Forest and Stream. Il say we { be-
heve the doctor spent some time that
night teaching the major our national
game), and was informed that he had
pupil so apt that what few rupees he
had brought with him went ashore
with the major. We slept well and
were up in time to see Old Sol get out
of his bed in the Indian ocean and lick
the hoary off our decks. After plate
of fruit, some fine fish, and fresh eggs,
with a cup of fragrant coffee, we got
out our battery and watched the move
ments of a clumsy lugger that the out
going tide and the gentle morning
breeze had brought down from the
city with the very odoriferous carcass
of horse, which the major explained,
was the decoy we were to shoot over.
The dead horse was hoisted overheard
and anchored about eight yards below
the ightship, and the lugger stood
about for home.
One of the sailors went aloft and
kept a lookout from the lantern cage,
while we ranged ourselves along the
breast-high bulworks, rifle in hand.
ready for the first flight. We had not
waited long when the major said:
"Now, boys, don't shoot the decoys,"
and the doctor said something about it
being his blind; this irrelevant CONVEX
sation was interrupted by a There is
one!' from the lookout, and we saw a
sword-bladed fin shooting toward our
boat at ten-knot speed, cutting a
ripple on the smooth surface of the
water, and leaving wake that flashed
in the morning sunlight. We knew
the game was there, but how to hit it?
In moment we saw another fin, and
then another, until there were full a
dozen in sight. The great fish circled
around the horse as if to make sure
! that ne could not resist their attack,
when we saw one turn in the water
and portion of his white belly show
above the surface as his saw-like teeth
tugged at great chunk of horse flesh.
| Crack went the majors express and a
| bright red circle where the shark sank
testified to the accuracy of his aim.
! The other fish did not notice the shot,
but attacked the horse like pack of
ravenous wolves, while we shot at ev-
cry spot of shark that showed above
the water, until we had converted the
turquoise blue of the southern sea into
a sanguinary red.
While the sharks paid no attention
to the shooting they seemed infurlated
with the blood and battled around the
dead horse until the water was lashed
almost into foam. They soon be-
came so numerous that it was impos-
sible to get a shot at any particular
one, and we stopped firing and watch
ed the fighting, seething, bleeding
mass. The justice of the title Tiger
of the Deep" was apparent to all now.
as no more ferocious and bloodthirsty
creature inhabits either land or water
than the shark of the south seas.
When the battlc@was at lis height
the major led us to the foredeck of the
little steamer, when we cast off from
the larger one and were soon among
the fighting leviathans, who apparent
ly took no heed of our arrival, but con
tinued to battle as viciously as before
We steamed around and around the
horse, shooting every fish that appear
ed. Some of them would go dowr
when hit, while others would continue
the fight. 1t is doubtful if a single
shot killed any one of them. Th'
crew brought up some small harpoon
and fastened to three large sharks
which were towed out of the bat
tie and hauled away up to the tow
to be skinned. The fish seemed t.
have exhausted their fury after al
hours struggle and we steamed bacl
to the wharf