SHARKS. 126 



Long before this time in fact, with early day- 

 light an immense number of sharks had gath- 

 ered around the ship, attracted thither by the 

 blood and scent of our prize. As far as the eye 

 oonld distinguish them, their dorsal fins could be 

 aeon gliding over the water, all hurrying to the 

 scenu of slaughter, eager to secure a share of the 

 prize. The extraordinary number of these sea 

 lawyers present, was equaled only by their rapa- 

 city. Before we began cutting -in, they had 

 already commenced their meal. Taking advan- 

 tage of a heave of the swell, a shark would wrig- 

 gle up on top of the whale, and setting his wide 

 opened mouth against the solid blubber, would 

 bite out a piece as round as and about the size of a 

 man's head. The officers spent their leisure mo- 

 ments in cutting at them with the spades, and one 

 man was stationed abreast of the whale's head, 

 with a long sharp spade, to keep them off that 

 part. I saw one cut in such a manner that his 

 entrails protruded into the water, and yet this 

 animal, which it was to be supposed would almost 

 immediately die, wriggled itself up on the whale, 

 ind took out a huge mouthful, paying for its 

 temerity by having the greater part of its tail 

 rat off. 



It is almost impossible to kill a shark. They 

 have as many lives as a cat. The amount of suf- 

 fering they will undergo before death ensues, is 

 really marvelous. I have seen all the entrails 

 taken out of one, and yet after lying about on 



