The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-08-28

00AFCo Will complete Outnt for
catching these great sharks, and we
dubbed together and purchased a
large Amer | whale boat This, as
we expected, afforded us rare and ex-
citing sport. Our shark killing party
was generally made up of about
twelve missionaries and a native boy.
armed with a long and sharp knife.
On one occasion, after a pleasant
lunch on the grass, we took our
places in the whaler. Father Nc
Carthy, the head of the party, was
in the bow, his shark hook baited
with huge piece of fresh pork, the
native by his side. The sea was so
smooth and transparent that as the
boat sped along it seemed as though
We were sailing in air. We had not
been out long, when the quick and
experienced eye of the native de-
tected an extremely large man-eater.
HE very soon had our hook and we
mad him. The rope attached to the
hook was long and carefully coiled
in the boat. AS usual we allowed
the shark to draw out the rope and
tow the boat, the rope being coiled
once or twice around a strong wood
en- peg secured to the boat This
had worked we'll on previous occa-
S1Ons and we had been able to travel
over the water at great speed. How
ever, this time something went
wrong, the cord slipped off the pin,
became .entangled around one of the
young ladies and she went overheard
like a shot, but free of the rope.
-Four young missionaries were over
board in an instant to rescue her,
when, oh, horrors of horrors! an
OF 81 man-eater put in an appear
ance, and made rapidly for the
struggling mass of humanity. Our
native boy, who could swim like
fish dived in with his long knife,
and in second the monster of the
deep was slashed open and the sea
red with his blood. The boy then
took hand in life-saving and soon
had all our party safely on board
again. After this exciting expert
ence We were more careful in our
expeditions. Father Mccarthy coiIed
the rope in cask firmly secured to
the bow of the boat, thus making
surh accidents impossible. We
killed many sharks and on the
whole had a thoroughly good time;
in fact, the three years that
spent on that island we're the hap
hest of my life.
But all good things come to an
end; Father Mccarthy and some of
the young priests were sent to an
other island and so our delightful
and exciting fishing excursions
ceased.
But worse was to come, a large
American schooner arrived, laden
with cargo of rum, tobacco, Sec
ond-hand clothing and various nick
nacks, all Of which are regular arti-
cles Of barter on these islands. The
next Sunday the natives appeared
fearfully and wonderfully attired;
some curious sights were to be seen,
but the details are best left to the
imagination. Unfortunately, alas;
in some Of these old clothes there
was a little germ, it was the mi
crobe of measles. 1t spread with
astonishing rapidity, and in a few
weeks the native population of the
island was practically exterminated.
This has happened before on other
islands.
After few months there was
nothing for us to do. The natives
previous to departing from this
world had been baptized at least
once, so that our work was finished
and we returned to dear old Eng
land for fresh marching orders
Marguerite l.. Galois, in The Truth