THE S H A R K K' I N D. 221 



bf drawing the rope, as if intending to take it away : then his hunger ex- 

 cites him J he darts at the bait, and fwallows it, hook and all. Some- 

 times, however, he does not fo entirely gorge the whole, but that he 

 once more gets free ; yet even then, though wounded and bleeding with 

 the hook, he will again purfue the bait until he is taken. When he finds 

 the hook lodged in his maw, his utmoft efforts are excited, but in vain, to 

 get free: he tries with his teeth to cut the chain ; he pulls with all his force 

 to break the line i he almoft feems ta turn his ftomach infide out to difgorge * 

 the hook ; in this manner he continues his-formidable, though fruitlefs 

 efforts i till quite fpent, he fuffers his head to be drawn above water, and 

 the failors, confining his tail by a nooze^ in this manner drawihim on fhip. 

 board, and difpatch him. This is done by beating him on the head till 

 he dies ; yet even that is not effe(fj;ed without difficulty and danger -, the 

 enormous creature, terrible even in the agonies of death, ftill itruggles 

 with his deftroyers; nor is there an animal in the world that is harder to 

 be killed. Even when cut in pieces, the mufcles fliil prefcrve their mo- 

 tion, and vibrate for fome minutes after being feparated from the body. 

 Inftantly as he is taken up, to prevent his flouncing, they cut off the tail 

 with an axe. 



Some of the negroes on the African . coall,- take a bolder and more 

 dangerous method to combat their terrible enemy. Armed with only a 

 knife, the negro plunges into the water, where he fees the Shark watch- 

 ing, and fwims forward to meet him; though the great animal does not 

 come to provoke the combat, he does not avoid it, and fuffers tne man 

 to approach him; but juff as he turns upon his fide to feize the aggreffor, 

 the negro watches the opportunity, plunges his knife in the fifh's belly, 

 and purfues his blows with fuch fuccefs that he lays the ravenous tyrant 

 dead: he foon however returns, fixes the fifh's head in a nooze, and drags 

 him to fhore, where he makes a noble feaft for the adjacent villages. 



The fiefli is hardly digeftible by any but the negroes, who are fond of 

 itj the liver affords three or four quarts of oil; fome imaginary virtues 

 have been afcribed to the brain; and its fkin is, by great labour, poliflied 

 into that fubftance called fhagreen. Mr. Pennant is of opinion, that the 

 female is larger than the male in all this tribe; which would, if confirmed 

 by experience, make aftrikingagr.-ement between them and birds ofprey. 



There are many kinds: as th- Blue Shark; Angel Shark, which ap- 

 proaches in form to a Ray ; Bafking Shark which is fond of warm and fun- 

 '■hy waters, and is faid not to be voracious, but to feed on plants, &c. ; the 

 j Long- tailed Shark, or Se^ Foxj the Spotted Shark; and many others. 



Part V. No. 29, P p Among 



