The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-12-08


When / was a boy of fifteen, my
father, who was u government official,
took me on trip to Key West, and
thence up the Florida Reef as far as
Cape Florida. There | was left to
spend a few days with the lighthouse
keeper and his family, while my faith
er went on up the coast, intending to
stop for me on his return.
Dick, the eldest son of the keeper,
told me so much about the hunting
and fishing to be had in the vicinity
that I was most eager to go out with
him for a days sport. So he prom
Used to take me with him early the
next morning to visit his turtle net
which was stretched across narrow
channel leading up between two shoals
into Biscayne Bay, about mile from
the lighthouse.
At the first dawn of day he routed
me out, and after hasty wash and a
cup of hot coffee to keep off the ma
laria, we started, in the best of spirits.
AS we passed the lighthouse tower,
the keeper called out to us from the
top, where he had been on watch since
midnight.
Don't go near the man-eaters' hole,
and be sure to get back in time for
breakfast"
The man-eaters' hole, as Dick ex-
planned to me, was a large, deep ba-
sin, not far from where the turtle-net
was set, In which number of big
sharks were usually lurking. 1t was
considered dangerous to cross In their
vicinity In a small boat, for they were
likely to attack. Indeed, Dick and his
father had several times been followed
so closely by one or more of them that
they had run their boat into shallow
water to get rid of the annoyance. The
sharks would bite savagely at the oars,
or anything that might be trailing
overheard. Upon one occasion large
shark had almost capsized their boat
by rising up under it, and the creature
was driven off only by repeated blows
upon his back with the oars.
OFT on the bay not a breath of all
was stirring, but the water was alive
with innumerable fishes Of all kind:
and sizes, that leaped flashing into thu
air. or darted to and fro In the cleal
depths below. Over them lowered my
RAIDS of noisy, expectant gulls, grace
full man-o-war hawks and ponderous
Tapping pelicans. AS these birds chos'
their victims, they plunged one by on
with unerring aim, to emerge shortl!
from the water with a writing, gilt
tering fish In each beak.
At the boat-landing we took
hurried glance into Dicks turtle-pen
with its score or more of large gree
turtles, awaiting an opportunity 70
shipment to Key West, whence the
would go by steamer to New forl
Then. launching Dicks small "Whit'
halr' boat, we jumped in and starte
off, each pulling pair of short scuii
Across the main channel that leao
by the cape into Biscayne Bay W
rowed until our oars touched bottol
on the shoal at the opposite side. The
following round the edge of 1t, keepin
I'm shallow water, we soon reached III
vicinity of the turtle-net.
AS we drew near to it, Dick exclain
ed: "What in the world is In th'
net? 1t must be an awfully big fish
some kind!'
Indeed, a large body was splashir
and throwing the spray high In the al
while something that looked like u
broad, fat blade of an ore was wa
ing to and fro three or four feet abo'
the surface. We approached with cal
ton, until Dick saw the thing clearl
Then he said, excitedly, ITS b
sawfish, all wound up in the ne
That's his saw sticking up in the air
Sure enough, monster sawfi
(Prlstis pectinatus) had become e
tangled in the net, and in twisting a
turning to free himself. had torn lar
holes by thrusting his saw and d
through it, and had wound 1t round
tody in a large ball
Dick said the sawfish was at lei
fifteen or sixteen feet in length, a
we could see that his body wo'
measure fully four feet across
widest part. His saw, on each s
of which large, strong teeth were
at short distances apart. extent
about four feet forward OF his hea
'If we don't kill him pretty 500
said Dick, hell tear the net all
pieces and ruin it. But we haven
thing in the boat to kill him wit
"Can't we pound him to death "
the oarsY' / inquired.
NO." replied Dick. ut is danger
TO 20 near him. He can strike b
with his saw hard enough to SIN
through the boat anywhere; and
sides, he might give US a slap with
tail. No. our best plan IL to 80 .
homo and get our guns, and IN az
eaep d Bib sav-you'u want -