The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-07-10

or samoa never let pass an
opportunity to kill a shark.
The waters which surround
that little world are infested
by them; and sometimes a native will
be caught and killed by one of the
terrible man-eating monsters-quite
frequently enough, indeed. to give
savage zest to the sport It would
be difficult to say whether even bird
catching occupies higher place. The
natives are wonderfully expert and
courageous. and as the flesh of the
shark is the principal dainty at their
great feasts, parties Of men are for
ever going in search Of 1t.
The favorite time Is when a storm
has just blown itself out, for the
sharks have been driven inshore, and
may be found sheltering In great
numbers under the black rocks that
border the lagoons. The men, who
have rowed out In frail canoe, throw
food overheard, piece by piece, and
this serves the double purpose Of at
tracing the sharks and gorging them
90 that they may be rendered easy
Of capture. The water around the
boat quickly becomes alive with the
brutes, and when the bait is devoured
they retire to the shadowy waters
where rocks overhang stretches Of
smooth sand, and there they lazily
stretch themselves at full length, and
sink into half sleep.
Catch Them Asleep.
The natives in the canoe paddle
slowly along. and presently discover
one Of these sharks in drowsy slum-
Der. The leader of the fishers raises
his hand in signal to the paddlers to
stay the course of the boat, and one
man-generally a young and active
fellow-climbs over the side into the
water, and. with the moose OF strong
rope Of bark fiber in his hand, dives
beneath the surface. Swimming
quietly along under the water, he
comes to a sleeping fish. and with a
quick. deft movement slips the moose
over its tail.
Then, as gently as he came, he re-
turns to the canoe, and when he has
clambered safely back into 1t the ma
tives take hold of the rope and rouse
the shark from its sleep with a
mighty pull together. The shark is
dragged through the> water before Il
has time TO reflect. and in spite OF It's
sudden panic and frenzied struggles,
It Is gradually hauled toward the boat.
BY keeping it's tail clear OF the water
the natives have made 1t practically
helpless; and at last, by peculiar
movement. they jerk 1t into the canoe.
and tremendous blow with a club
finishes its career.
sometimes the shark has backed in
to a crevice or hole in the rocks be-
fore It has settled down TO sleep, so
that its head alone is accessible. In
such q case the diver will swim up to
II. and with the utmost GOODNESS tap
Il gently but firmly on the head.
Sleepy and gorged with food as It is.
and annoyed by the interruption, with
out knowing exactly the cause OF II.
the shark turns round with a swish
IN a space barely large enough for II
TO lie in. AS It does SO II exposes IT'S
tail. and the diver cleverly drops the
moose over II and returns to the boat
in the customary manner For the
sake OF variety, a baited hook is car
ried out by these natives and dropped
in about IL feet of water, the line
being then brought back TO land
When a shark seizes the bait, and Is
safely hooked, the natives shoulder
the rope at the edge OF the water. and.
singing a rude, measured chant dance
inland. dragging the fish into the shall
lows, where II is speedily killed.
Sport Is Dangerous.
The sport is exceedingly dangerous.
as can be imagined. but the Samoans
are taught to be as much at home In
the water as are the sharks. so that
an astonishing Indifference is dis
played toward them In some parts
of the Islands shark-6shing is re-
garded as being as much trade as
a sport, and the operations are car
rfod out by a different method from
those described above. The fishers