The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-01-20
THE FOlRLES OF SHARKS.
They Are Curious About Divers, but Harm.
less aud Like to he Soratched.

Sharks are very common all along the
coast of Australia They become more
numerous, larger and more voracious
the nearer W. go to the equator. Pas
sengers who mako ocean voyages NAV
often see them from the deck of their
ship but see them in their native ele-
ment A day seldom passes when am
at work that 10 not see one of these
creatures. They do not seem to recog-
uize diver when clad in his diving
dress as something which is gooi to eat
Probably he is mistaken for some other
great sea monster. with whom the
shark would just as soon as not measure
his strength.
: At all events sharks rarely give US
any active annoyance. At first when
we go into new country, they exhibit
some curiosity. They sometimes come
and inspect us and our work, moving
slowly around US with perceptible mo-
ton, and smelling US like great dogs.
1t gives one very horrible feeling of
insecurity, | assure you when one Of
these monsters of twelve or fourteen
feet runs his nose around your body,
his tail to indicate good-fellowship The
shark will swim away right enough
when he has finished his inspection-at
least, he always has done so with me
and, although annoying, can stand it
now.
Sometimes, when you go down of a
morning. you will find half-a-dozen
big and little sharks, who have evil
d nifty selected the site of your opera
tins as a camp ng-ground. This is
awkward Perhaps they have observed
the disturbance at the bottom of the
sea. and lills marine consta bles they
ARE waiting for the fellow who made
it. to run him in" This is an awk-
ward experience, for these sharks do
not clear off and admit your claim.
They say all animals have { ar of
man; but sharks cannot recognize a
man in divers CO 'tume. They neither
oppose nor assist u in orr operations;
they simply ignor. US. We have to be
very careful, then, walking around
about these pigs without disturbing
them.
have occasionally used a small
crow-bar as a weapon and struck
small shark on the nose when he was
annoying me with his persistency. The
shark wills then turn and go off with a
rush. would not. however, like to
try my crow-bar OF d shark ten feet
long After his rush away he might re-
turn for further Investigation.
] have had many nasty adventures
with saarks when pursuing my occupa-
ton: recollect one thing that gave me
a considerable saocll. had been en-
gagged blowing uo a reef of rocks so as
TO enlarge a little harbor on the coast
1t was my duty to make the hole and
put III t e charge CT dynamite. The
charge was exploded in the evening
after we had left off work. On going
down every morning was accustomed
to go over to cert: 4 ledge which was
always good resting place for lob
sterS Morning after morning had in
variably found pair or more of these
crustaceans, which ! SEM to the sur
face in basket
On the morning to which now refer,
l wa kei straight TO the ledge and ran
my hand carefully along its lower side.
was surpris d to find my hand scrap
ing what | took to be the rock; but
was surprised still more VIII l OBJ
served my hand cropping within a foot
OF the mouth of n great shark which |
had retired TO res: IN this cavity.
The Shark must have been as much 1
alarmed as l was, for it made one |
spriniing from its resting-place and /
disappeared in the dark wall of ocean.
The shock to me was greater than /
could have believed AMI even yet do .
not care 10 think about it much. 1t is |
hardly necessary to say that did not /
return to that ledge for Holsters for
some time.
On another occasion. a fellow came .
alongside me where l was working l .
stopped, OF course. and stepped back
quietly to let him pass. But he did
not He came nearer. l then thought
he was curious, but soon found that
another feeling than curiosity was NOV
ing him As / retreated he still ad-
vanced, until l found myself jammed
up against the rock. l could retreat no
further, and yet the brute came on de-
Butinstead of approaching
me with his long nose-for you don't
see his jaws-he turned his side and be-
gan to rub up against me.
had small Jumper in my hand,
which he'd with the point outward
against his skin. as dill not wish to
have his rough skin scoring along my
dress 1t was something like what a
COW would be rubbing against you. The
iron on his skin was, however, the very
thing he wanted, as he soon gave me to
l was KEEP there at least
haif an hour scratching that monster
With the sharp iron
He took it Ike pig, bending his
body ami turning over on his side SO as
10 present fresh surface to the Jumper.
suppose he must have felt easier for
Ihe operation, for after time he moved |,
AWAY.
had one or two further visits from
him on following days, on each of
EAieA vas QsAigsd % scyat0A him tog