The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-01-12
SHARK WISHING.
A DESPERATE AND DANGEROUS
OCCUPATION.
Many Lives Lost Annually That
China May be Supplied with Its
National Dellcacy-Meth-
DDS or the Fishers.


tional delicacy in the world. SO great
il the demand for it among the we'll
TODD Chinese, both at home and
wherever they be throughout the
world, that every year, down among
the equatorial atolls OF the Pacific,
Thousands of men risk and lose their
lives in hunting the Tiger of the
sea
Every little while the Australian
papers briefly note the arrival OF some
island trading vessel with cargo of
so many tons os shark fins. These,
dried and strung together, have been
picked UP among hundred nameless
tropic islands TINT dot the South
Pacific, and are consigned from Mel
bourne or Sydney TO the great por!s
of China.
1t Is especially among the islands
where nature has been less lavish in
Der supply of food for the people that
shark fishing has become the great,
the only industry. The un-baked
denizens OF tho Gilbert and Marshall
groups and the countless coral islets
of the Western Carolines have need 10
cXplcre the ocean day and night IN
order to live, for there such delIcacies
rs the menly yam and the toothsome
baked bread fruit and the sucking pig
are unknown. There is nothing TO
ont on such islands as these but cocoa
nut and fish, with occasionally some
such vegetable as the puruka, IA coarse
grained plant which grows rs thick as
an elephants leg.
But any time, day or night, the sea
swarms there, like no other waters OF
the cath, with sharks. Alter the
swift tropic sunset has plunged the
world in darkness one may go out in
canoe anywhere in one of the lagoons.
and, lighting torch OF dried cocoa
nut leaves, look downward over the
boats side and sec come hurrying up
Literally hundreds OF sharks. all judy
ing from their actions, desperately
hungry.
1T is at dawn, however, that the
shark fishers prefer to begin their
work. They are naked save Tor cir.
ole OF grass about their loin-, and the
canoes in which they ply their dan
gercus trade are mere shells OF small
strips OF wood sewn together with co.
coanut cinnet. Not one OF the pieces
Is moro than two feet in length, and
they are pieced together with marvel
Gus skill and patience, for wood is n
scarce commodity in these islands.
Twenty canoes generally go cut at the
same time, but they do not venture
far, for a few feet from shore the water
is fifty and in some places ninety
fathoms deep.
II a ioJaJ eDortrr,,,, .l .l
ment, he should 60 shark fishing in
these Lonesome waters. The tackle is
OF the rudest sort-a huge wooden
hook, cunningly trained when it was a
young tree root to grow into the prop.
er shape. Attached TO it is a strong
cocoanut fibre rope about 240 feet in
length. A piece of flying fish or
shark caught the previous day is
deity tied about the hook, and il
sinks heavily into the water. A mo.
ment later and the Jine tautens-the
shark is there. The steersman strikes
his paddle into the water to bring the
canoes lead Tound, the man holding
the line gives 1t sudden jerk that
nearly upsets the little craft, and a
third native handles n short iron wood
club expectantly.
Then comes the playing Of the des-
perate game which IS death for the
men to lose. Sometimes the shark
makes desperate effort to get away
into the blue gloom hundred fathoms
down, and foot by foot, with anxious
faces, the men watch the coiled line
spin out. A sudden Jerk may ofttimes
change the sharks course before it is
too late, and bring him to the surface.
and then he is hauled close to the boat
! before he has chance for another
dive. If all goes well the club man
series his chance and gives the huge
hsh stunning blow on the head If
the sharks tail come within reach of
the steerman's arm, he stands ready
with n heavy backed, keen knife tc
send in "a slashing blow which shall
| put that end Of tho monster ont of the
game. Sometimes a young fish will
have his tail shipped of in this way
before he knows he has lost il.
While thisis going on with Que canoe
| the others are probably similarly en-
I gagged, md il is here that most lives
are lost, for with n score Of bontq. each
being dragged about by angry sharks.
/ there are sure TO lee plenty OF tangled
lues and collisions mud capsizcs. Once
IN the water, man has mo- time for
the brieiest Of prayers TO his savage
/ gods, for i'm q second % dozen sbarp
fms COM kissing toward him. there is
% mapping of giant jaws, and Of the
fisherman the only trace is mass OF
/ bloody foam.
But ifall COOS VOL Tho shark is killed
aud to1ed ashore and dcspoiled of his
! fins and hide. Tho skins alone nre sold
TO white men for civilized use. These
arc bought almost entirely bv German
/ irl1crs. 10 is said That some method
ot tanning this most intraciablo of
hides has been discovered in Germany.
/ hut The shark merchants OF the Pacific
treat This with the same iucrcduIity me-
| they Go tho lumOr that tine Em,tr or
of Germany hns discovered how to
/ cross-hrccG sharks SD "a tJoihless and
amiablo variety viii replace the pres.
ont breed
The trader Iny for sharks ems in
tobacco, canco, guns, ammunition.
ond tometimes in gin. Asl the Gilbert
Islanders arc expert shark fishermen,