Year: 1873

We had not long come into the
rOadstead at Madras when a eircum-
stance occurred which / cannot help
relating.


There was Lascar on our ship who
was very expert in handling the eata-
maran, kind of raft made of three
sticks OF wood lashed together, and
used in the surf, which in this place
rolls in very heavily. This man had
a little child, boy of eight years;
and, while we lay here he would take
this boy and show him how to handle
the catamaran, it being his intention
to bring the lad up TO this pursuit.


Now 1t happened one morning that
going out very early, even before the
day had sprung, the catamarau ran
foul of a palm which was washing
ashore, and Overset, throwing the
man and the boy into the water. The
man rose easily enough, for he swan
like q duck, and made for the raft,
which he had scarcely reached, when
he saw hinge shark seize the child
and make TO sea with its prey.


The man, as may be supposed, WAS
Mortified at the sight, and for mo-
mcnt dsZed; but he soon recovered.
and drawing a long knife which he
carried in his cummerbund, plunged
after the shark. was OH the beach
at the time, and saw the whole affair
The man disappeared, but rose again,
the shark near MIN. and both appar-
emily engaged in a desperate conflict.
This lasted several minutes. The WA
ter then began to grow red; the man
rose two or three times in quick sue
cession, his knife still in his hand and
striking with great force and energy.


This continued several seconds.
Then the shark rose suddenly and
throwing its huge form half way out
Of the spray sank with a heavy
IA. 5nr Eve "a'er with deep
.-... B.. ., -.lf.eIred. L looked
mo-. .,..A...,,.,-J Iur Tire man, and see
ing 10 sign OF INN thought he had
shared the fate of his adversary;
but presently he came to the surface
and swan directly for the shore. He
was very much exhausted, but his
body was without a wound, q strange
circumstance, seeing the dangers he
had encountered.


After he had rested, l asked him to
relate the particulars of his combat
with the sea monster, which he did.
He said that as soon as he plunged
into the water he saw the shark in
the act of deYOuring the child; that he
made toward it and gave It q stroke
with knife; that the shark turned
and snapped at him; but he, diving,
evaded It's Jaws and coming up under
its belly gave it a stab, and the knife
running along produced 3 wound over
a yard in length, which, in short,
made an end of the monster. On re-
ceiving this wound it ragged about in
a furry for a few seconds, then Ca
reening on its side drifted at the meT-
cy of the waves a mere piece of life
less matter.


Such was the story of this brave
mans encounter. While we were
talking,I 1 heard a clamOr among some
of the MassvOlah DOatmen on the
beach, and sent one OF our men to
learn its occasion. He came back
with the tidings that the shark had
come ashore and the noise we heard
proceeded from the natives who were
amazed at its size, which was indeed
enormous, and the number of W Wounds
which it had received. On hearing
this | proceeded toward the place
where it was stranded, taking the
Lascar with me, who by this time had
thoroughly regained his energies.


We approached the monster. 1t lay
the blood still oozing from the wounds
with which its body was covered. The
size, as l have observed, was surpris-
ing. I had seen sharks of large pro-
portions but they were small COM
pared to this creature. / did not
measure it carefully; but it was near
thirty feet in length and as big round
as the main mast of our ship. It had
made bold defence and was not COR
quered till its life gushed out from a
multitude of wounds.


After satifying my curiosity, / had
the monster opened, when a gl!astiy
spectacle was presented. The child
was found in its stomach ; but utterly
dismembered, the head being severed
from the body, and the whole so
ground together as to be scarce recOg-
nizable. 1 was greatly overcome By
this melancholy sight even the
apathy of the HindOO gave way, and
as he gazed on the remains of his
child, his sorrow burst forth in loud
lamentGtiOns.-"Se "SeGfGTiDg Men, IN
HecfOJ. 4 Uryr0TH