

 'f HE SHAtlKe 



grampus, nor even the spermaceti whale can, hire- 

 gard to ferocity, boldness and indefatigable activity, 

 bear any comparison with this terrible devourer. No 

 other fish cjan swim so fast: hisTigility is such that he 

 outstrips, with ease, t,he fastest sailing vessels. 



Such amazing powers united with such appetites 

 for destruction would depopulate the ocean had not 

 creative wisdom ordained a conformation of the jaws 

 of this fish, which serves in some measure to counter- 

 act its insatiable voracity. The upper jaw projects so 

 far over the lower that the shark is obliged to turn on 

 one side to seize his prey, and as this takes some 

 small time in the performance, the animal pursued 

 often takes that opportunity to make its escape, 



Notwithstanding this disadvantage the ravages of 

 the shark, however, are dreadful. He is the dread of 

 sailors in all hot climates, where he generally attend* 

 the ships in expectation of what may drop overboard. 

 A man who happens to fall intrf the sea at such a time, 

 meets certain destruction. A sailor who was bathing 

 in the Mediterranean near Antibes, in the year 1744, 

 perceiving one of those terrible monsters approaching 

 him, from the extension of its jaws, anticipating his 

 fate, called out in an agony of terror to his compa- 

 nions to throw out a rope. The rope was immediate- 

 ly thrown, and in eager haste secured his hold ; but 

 in trie very moment when his comrades were drawing 

 him up to a place of safety, the shark sprang upon 

 him, and at one snap snatched off one of his legs. 

 This ferocious and formidable fish has been known to 

 bite a person asunder in the middle, and indeed werrf 

 I to mention all the dreadful instances of its voracity r 

 it would spin out this article to an immoderate! 

 length. It is, however, to be observed, that bathing 

 in the sea, which in hot climates is so delightful and 

 salutary, ^s attended with great danger in those parts 

 where the shark abounds; for his approach is sudden* 

 and often imperceived, his spring instantaneous, his 

 aim certain, and his bite fatal. 



Divine wisdom, however, has not permitted that 

 'one creature should, with yncoutrolable despotism; 



