The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1896-12-19

%ESItNSL iLty w .uIouSu AZ Nv tiS
world, that every year, down among
the equatorial atolls OF the Pacific,
thousands Of men yisi, md lose their
lives in hunting the "tiSer Of the
sea."
Every littIo whi!c the Australian
papcrs briefly note TIE arrival of some
,sland trading vessel with cargo OF
NJ many tons os shark fins. These,
Hlsied and strung together, have been
picked UP among q hundred Cameiess
Gropjc islands that dot the South
Pacific, and are consigned from Mel
bonyue or Sydney TO the great ports
OF China.
It 10 especially among the islands
where nature has been Jess lavish in
her supply Of TODD jor the people that
shark fishing bAs become the great,
the only industry. the suu-bakcd
dcngens OF the Gilbert and Marshall
groups and the countless coral isIets
81 the Western Cnrolines have need to
'explcre the ocean day and night III
order to live, lor there such dellcacics
aE the mealy yam and the toothsomc
baked bread fruit and the sucking pig
are unknown. There is nothing to
cat on such islands Us these hut cocoa-
NUT and fish, with occasionally some
such vegetable rs the I,uruka, u coarse
grained plant winch grows az thick as
asa elephants leg,
But any time, day or night, the sea
genrms there, like 10 other waters Of
the eastb. with sharks. After the
swift tropic sunset has plunged the
world in darkness one may go cut in
acanoe aUywharein one of the lagoons,
and, lighting torch o! dried cocoa
nut leaves. lock downward over the
boats side and see come hurryins up
literally hundreds of sharks, all judg-.
ing from ;Aeir actions, Gesperate] :
hungry.
st is at dawn, however, that the
sbark fishers prefer to begin their
work. They are naked save Tor a gir.
die OF grass about their loing, end the
Games III which they ply their daE
gerous trade are mere shells of small
strips OF wood sewn together with co.
cnanut cinnst. Not one OF the pieces
il more than two fee. in length, md
they are pleced together with marvel
Gus skill ard pat!cacr, for wood is q
scarce commodity in these islands.
Twenty ca2oes generally 60 out at the
saire time. but they Go not venture
snt, ior & few feet from shore tue water
IL fifty ard in some places ninety
fathoms deep.
AZ faded sportsman wants excite
rcnt, he should 20 shark fishing in
these lonesome waters. The tackle is
Of the rudest Sort huge wooden
hook, cNnningiy trained wnen it was a
Young traG root to grow into the prop.
&r shape. Attached to it is strong
cocoanut tibro rope about 80 feet in
length. 4 piece OF flying fish or
shark caught Ike previous day is
deity TIED about the hook, end it
ainks heavily into the wafer. Il Mo'
ment later and the line tautens-the
shark is there. Jhe steeIsnaN strikes
hie paddle into the water to bring the
canoes lead ,ouuG, the man holding
the line gives II y Sudden jerk that
near y 'npsets the little craft, ana q
third native handles short iron wood
club expectantly.
Then comes the playing Of the des.
peyate game which is death Tor the
men to lose. Sometimes the shark
makes desperate effort to get away
into the blue gloom hundred fathoms
hown, md foot by foot, with anxious
faces, the men watch the coiled line
rpm out. 4 sudden jerk may ofttimcs
change the sharks course before it is
too late, and bring him TO the surface,
aud then he is hauled close to the boat
before he has Is chance for another
dive. II all goes well the club man
seizes bis chance ard gives the huge
fish u stunning blow on the head. If
the sharks tail come within reach of
the steermun's arm, he stands ready
with u heavy backed, keen knife tc
send 10 q s|eshing blow which shall
put that end OF tie monster out OF the
game. Sometimes q young fish will
have his tail shipped of in this way
before he knows he has lost it.
While this!s going on with one canoe
shs Others are probably similarly en-.
Gagged, and it is hero that most lives
nra lest, tor with u score Of boats, each
being dragged about by angry sharks,
ahcre are sure TO be plenty OF tangled
siUea aud collisions and capsizes. Once
an the water, man has no time for
ahe brle;est OF prayers to Ills savage
gods, for in second n dozen sharp
fms con Kissing toward him, there is
swapping OF giont jaws, and OF the
fisherman the only trace is mass OF
bloody foam.
But ita|l goes we'll The shark is killed
Rnd toNea ashore and despoiled Of his
Ems and hide. The skins alone are sold
10 white men for civilized use. These