FISHING IN THE HUDSON'S GORGE 371 



The sailors borrowed some of my shark hooks 

 and chains and in quick succession caught three 

 over the stern. All were Carcharhinus ohscurus 

 — the dusky ground shark which seems to be al- 

 most unknown near New York, although common 

 to the north at Wood's Hole. The most notic- 

 able character of these creatures was the pale color 

 of the fins. The pectorals were greyish- white for 

 half their length and when swimming in the sea 

 they appeared milk-white. These sharks arrived 

 singly and converged toward the bow and then 

 drifted sternward. Perceiving the slowly drag- 

 ging bait, they leisurely swam toward and engulfed 

 it, with, however, none of the story-book legend of 

 having to turn over on their backs before seizing 

 their prey. A male shark measured over seven feet 

 in total length and weighed one hundred and twen- 

 ty pounds, after we had all estimated his weight 

 at about three hundred! 



At Porto Bello we had purchased two small 

 puppies of doubtful, or rather of quite certain 

 absence of, pedigree. They were most amusing 

 little fellows and were thoroughly spoiled by every- 

 one on board. Both, unfortunately, developed 

 signs of mange and much to their disgust we 

 treated them thoroughly with the old reliable 

 Glover's. They had grown and thrived apace, but 

 now the smaller of the two pups, Blanco Ugly as 

 we called him, by accident or intention (the Span- 

 ish-American temperament being so uncertain) 

 fell overboard and drowned before anyone could 

 see or save him. The first we knew of the tragedy 



