THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 249 



shark in " corsets " and let it go, the " corset " being inside 

 the "varmint." We thrust an old iron pole down our 

 friend's ample throat, leaving still room for a little savage, 

 or large pair of boots; and after taking care that one end 

 of the iron projected, that he might exercise his teeth and 

 ill temper, we tossed him overboard. As the rigid pole held 

 him to a course, he made a straight wake on the surface, 

 much to the entertainment of the boys, whose possible coffin 

 the brute was. One shark, fifteen feet in length, I dissected 

 to the extent of his leathery jaw, which was garnished with 

 half a dozen concave circular saws. I intended to carry this 

 trophy home to show the Radnor people. 



It is said among sailors that the hard digestion of a hun- 

 gry shark has brought the dead to life. As the yarn goes : 



The carpenter of the folly Ananias^ of Nantucket, Cap- 

 tain Marcy, died off Zanzibar. He was stitched up in can- 

 vas, and a pet grindstone was lashed to his feet to anchor 

 the body. An affectionate chip of the poor old block, stand- 

 ing by the gangway-plank, reached over, with tearful eyes, 

 to catch a last glimpse of his father, when his foot slipped, 

 and he fell in almost at the same time as the dead man. 

 Just then a great white shark swept around from the bows, 

 and, very naturally, the poor boy and his father were out of 

 sight in an instant. The shark leisurely swept under the 

 quarter, shaking red flannel from his saw-teeth, and casting 

 up his hungry eye for any more boys there were to spare. 

 Captain Marcy was a cool-headed, friendly man, who struck 

 twice before he spoke at all. He was about launching an 

 iron at the brute, when young Coffin, the mate, suggested 

 that he might hurt the boy. The captain said he hadn't 

 thought of that, and a baited hook was dropped. Quick as 

 a flash the bait was taken, and in as little time the monster 

 was lashing the quarter-deck. ^A blow on the head settled 

 him, when, to the amazement of the crew, a cutting sound 



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