142 I N A G U A 



strove hard. The circle grew narrower; soon I could see flashes 

 of a white belly as the shark turned and rolled. I was thoroughly 

 frightened and I was growing a little tired. The twenty-mile 

 hike of the day before was beginning to tell on me. The beast 

 stopped and idled. Thinking it was going to make an attack, 

 I grasped the gun from my teeth where I had been holding it 

 and sank beneath the surface. The salt water stung my eyes 

 but I could see clearly. Only ten or fifteen feet away the shark 

 was gliding again through the water, circling. Then it turned 

 sharply and slid by to my left and disappeared behind my back. 

 With a sudden surge I lunged to the surface and frenziedly 

 swam with every bit of remaining strength to the edge of the 

 channel. As soon as I hit the sand I struggled up the slope and 

 dashed for the shore, tripping several times amid great fountains 

 of spray. When I reached the beach I dropped panting on the 

 sand, shaking in every muscle. It was one of the most terrifying 

 experiences I have ever had. 



Until that time I had had no personal experiences with sharks. 

 Later, in the light of calm reflection and with the accumulated 

 knowledge of several years of working with diving equipment, 

 I am convinced that my fright was somewhat unreasonable. In 

 fact, from recollections of the anatomical features of the in- 

 dividual that swam around me that day at Sheep Cay, I am now 

 certain that it was one of the nurse sharks, a perfectly harm- 

 less group that assails nothing more vigorous than the mollusks 

 and crustaceans on which its members feed. The attentions of 

 this particular one were probably due to plain inquisitiveness. 

 Certainly if it had desired to attack me it would have done so 

 for I was completely at its mercy. 



As might be expected, the Hzards of Sheep Cay did not differ 

 sufficiently to cause them to be classified apart from those on 

 the mainland. There was only one type, a member of the genus 

 Anolis, beautifully tinted reptiles varying in hue from pale 



