SHARK-SHOOTING IN THE MAURITIUS. 209 



which were torn to pieces by their brethren." This 

 incident was illustrated and described in The Graphic 



at the time. Meanwhile we had arrived at R 's 



bungalow, which was decorated with sharks' jaws. 



" This is my best pair," he said, picking them up 

 and passing them over my head. The circumference 

 was large enough to allow them to pass freely over 



my shoulders. I shuddered. R called his orderly 



and told him to have a dozen chiens marrons ready 

 in the morning. These are the common pariah 

 dogs of the East, which go by this name in this semi- 

 French colony. 



Accordingly next morning after breakfast we 

 embarked in a shore boat, taking with us our lunch 

 and the half-dozen wretched dogs which were destined 

 to be " butchered to make a Mauritian holiday." We 

 pulled out of the harbour past the Bell Buoy, and 

 finally reaching the lightship some couple of miles 

 to seaward, we went on board. We were warmly 

 welcomed by the light-keeper and his assistant, whom 



R pointed out to me as the " black harpooner." 



He was a negro of herculean proportions. Our 

 preparations were soon made. They consisted in 

 tying the wretched dogs in two lots of three, each lot 

 being fastened to a long line. They were tossed 

 overboard, and floating under the ship's counter, were 

 put out of their misery by a ball through the head. 

 This was rather a butcherly business, but the blood- 

 shed was necessary to attract the sharks. Up to the 

 present we had not seen the sign of one. The lines 



