Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-01
A TRIP ID THE TROPICS
Our Correspondent Tells Some Wonderful Shark Stories,
BIG OYSTERS FOUND THERE
He Has the Shell of One Which Weighed About 500 Pounds s-He Tells Where tic Pink
 Pearl Comes From.

Special Correspondence)- )-In the letter l wrote yesterday l disclosed a scheme for getting rich by raising monkeys for picking cotton, but I have another scheme now that is just as good and there is fortune in it. This country offers a fine field for a man with genius and plenty of rich friends. He must not put any of his own money into it. but rely upon his friends to furnish the capital it is much safer.
 My new idea is to go into the cod liver oil business. There are no cods here. but the water is infested with sharks, the oil of which is as much like cod liver oil as oleoma rgarine is like butter. Sharks are as thick as peas and are easily caught. They are tremendous things and the oil from each one Is worth about $6. It doesn't cost more than $1 to catch the shark and extract the oil. As one man can catch and prepare at least ten sharks a day you can readily see the immense profit in the business.
 I have caught several lately, one of them being IS feet long and having elev- en rows of teeth. His mouth was large enough to swallow a man whole, but don't believe a shark ever bit live man. It will eat anything that is dead and the deader it is the more ravenously 1t is devoured. l have heard of shark being caught, and when cut open parts of man would be found in it's capacious stomach. It is more than probable that the man was devoured first and eaten afterwards. To put my theory to test 1 used to throw meat overheard to attract the ugly bruteS and would then sit on the edge of the yaWi with my Trilbies hanging overheard to see whether they would tempt MT. Shark. I have even greaSed my feet with bacon rind, but no shark ever ap- preached them, although they were swimming all around me. The fault may have been with my feet, but I am of the opinion that the shark is but cowardly animal that feasts on you only after you are dead. I have made dilgent inquiry among the natives and sailors to ascertain, if possible, whether they or any one they ever knew or had ever seen had been bitten by a shark, but they all answered no. A short while ago the New York World offered $200 reward to any one who could furnish proof of the fact that any live man had ever been bitten by one of these terrors of the ocean, but the reward is yet un- claimed.
 Notwithstanding all these facts, when- ever I go in SWiming I take good care to tie a rope around my body and put sailor on watch to haul me in should one of the ugly things heave in sight.
 The water where we are anchored, and, in fact, all around this island, is as clear ss crystal and fish can be seen long way from the boat, so there is no danger of a shark getting me, especially if I see MT. Shark first.
 The negro stevedores unloading the vessel are not at all afraid of them. See ing me scramble out of the water away from 14-foot shark, one of the negroes asked if I would give him shillings to dive after and attack the brute. I had # of o0tri i91cr Ci1a af-<C c htft I thought they were merely sea tales. I now had a chance to see for myself whether 1t could be done, so I told him to go ahead He took off his clothes then took big knife between his teeth and stood on the gunl until his royal nibs, the shark came near the surface. As quickly as a. flash the negro dived under the shark, which was too startled to run, and up he came towards the shark. The sharks eyes being on top of his head, he evidently didn't see his assailant In fact, it didn't occur to him that anybody or anything would have the hardihood or nerve to attack his highness. the king of the waters. But he reckoned without his host, for the negro plugged the knife into his heart up to the hilt. MT. Shark looked startled. the blood discolored the water and up bobbed the negro for a breath of air. In few minutes the shark fioated to the surface, belly up, as dead as Hector.
 His carcass was hauled aboard one of the rafts of lumber along side and cut mp. each one of the negroes taking a piece of the flesh home with him to eat. It is said that the natives enjoy shark meat but relish monkey flesh much more.
 By the way. that is another point in favor of the monkey. It may require some little time to cultivate the taste for monkeys. but once cultivated there is no dish to compare with it.
 The French eat snails and horse flesh, and we eat raw oysters, so why not eat monkeys? Did you ever reflect what nerve the man had who first swallowed raw oyster?
 But speaking of oysters. you ought to see these down here. They are too large to swallow whole, one of them being large enough for several families. l have the shells of one which, when taken from the water, weighed about 800 pounds. It contained twenty-seven pounds of meat. This was an unusually large one. but I saw several that weighed between 200 and 300 pounds. The meat of these big oysters is coarse and unsavory. Their chief value is the pearl that Is occasionally found in them. The oyster pearl Is quite inferior to those found in the Indian Ocean. I am told, but there is a beautiful and valua- ble pink pearl found in these islands in the conch. a large pink, spiral shell ire quently seen in the houses and gardens of Birmingham. The conch is found all along the shorein quantities, but some times 2000 are opened and destroyed be- fore a single pearl is found. The indus try is confined strictly to small boys, who can be seen scattered all along the shore plying their vocation.
 Sponge turtle and coral fishing Is car ried on by men, but haven't time now to tell you about it. In fact know very lit- tle about it. but when I get further south l am going out some day with the fisher mon and see how it is done for l have more curiosity than woman.
 There are no game fish in these waters that I know of By game fish I mean fish like the tarpon that fights so hard to free itself when hooked and furnishes such excellent sport for expert fisher men. shark. for instance. when first caught makes hard fight for life. but it gives up in d few minutes and is easi- ly hauled in; but the tarpon will strug- gle gamely for an hour or two before 1t becomes exhausted sufficiently to drown it.
 It seems strange to be talking about drowning a fish: but nevertheless it can he done and is done. as every good fisher man will tell you. A fish can not only be drowned. but can become accustomed to living out of water, as I know by experi- eTfce and by experimenting with the finny tribp