SHARK-SHOOTING IN THE MAURITIUS. 211 



ordinary " Pieter Bot," shaped like a gigantic spear- 

 head. Strange to say it has been repeatedly ascended, 

 though it is necessary to put up some sort of scaffold- 

 ing to surmount the part which overhangs. To the 

 left of St. Louis we could see the lovely gardens of 

 Pamplemousse, which, as far as I recollect, contain the 

 tomb of Paul and Virginia. At all events it is near 

 there. What a pity it seems such a lovely island 

 should be such a hotbed of fever, which, by the way, 

 has been introduced within the memory of man. 

 When we had finished lunch, several more of the black 

 fins were in sight, cruising to and fro. Several 

 times the baits were hauled in, but the sharks refused 

 to come within harpooning distance. 



"The brutes are getting shy, I think," said R . 



" Well, sir, you've given them a pretty good 

 dressing, I think," said the light-keeper. 



It was obvious we should not get another chance 

 of harpooning, so we opened fire at about fifty yards. 

 The blood of the sharks we hit attracted more, and no 

 doubt several were killed, although we were unable to 

 pick any up afterwards. 



On our way back, R apologised for the bad- 

 ness of the sport. 



" Not at all," I said, " I have enjoyed it immensely. 

 I never shot a shark before in my life, and I have 

 always hated the brutes. I shall be able to say I have 

 taken part in the distinctive sport of Mauritius." 



' This is my own particular invention," said 



- ; " nobody ever heard of it before, and they 



laugh at me now, and chaff me about the rdquins. 



p 2 



