82 DAHLAK 



(black-fins, Carcharinus malanopterus, dusky sharks, Carcharinus 

 obscuruSj and white-fins, Carcharinus albimarginatus) as those 

 encountered by him. 



The shark, then, is a strange and not easily understood 

 character of the seas, somewhat sybilline, unctuous, and a 

 little oriental. He kills and is a coward, attacks and is 

 frightened, he is curious and a traitor, intelligent and extra- 

 ordinarily stupid. He is the Uriah Heep of Dickens, Pushkin's 

 Prince Cujskij, and if you re-read Karamazov consider him 

 Smerdjakov. The shark is a character in search of an author. 



