CARCHARIAS. 95 



of short duration. A loud shriek from one of the 

 men announced his sudden pain ; a shark had seiz- 

 ed him by the leg, and severed it entirely from 

 the body. 



No sooner had the blood been tasted, than the 

 dreaded attack took place : another and another 

 shriek proclaimed the loss of limbs. Some were 

 torn from the boat, to which they vainly endeav- 

 ored to cling — some, it was supposed, sunk from 

 fear alone. The sharks had tasted the blood, and 

 w^ere not to be driven from their feast. By great 

 exertion, again the boat was righted, and two men 

 were in her ; the rest had all perished. The two 

 survivors resolved, with gallant hearts, to redouble 

 their exertions. They lightened the boat suffi- 

 ciently not to be overset. 



The voracious monsters endeavored to upset the 

 boat ; they swam by its side, in seeming anxiety 

 for their prey ; but after waiting some time, they 

 separated. The two rescued seamen, in spite of 

 the horrors they had witnessed, soon fell asleep, 

 and were the next day fortunately picked up by a 

 vessel. 



Fox Shark, or Thrasher, — Carcharias Vul- 

 pes. Perhaps no class of sea stories are more 

 common than accounts of combats between the 

 thrasher and the ivhale, — the latter of which, 

 is always said to be beaten most cruelly by the 



