308 THE SHARK. 



a stout cable, strengthened near the hook by an iron 

 chain. The shark for some time surveys the magnet, 

 as if fearful of the weapon, which is cautiously con- 

 cealed until the sailors, anxious to provoke it to de- 

 struction, pretend to draw the bait from the bosom of 

 the stream, when, darting forward with furious impe- 

 tuosity, he swallows the hook and part of the chain. 



This is the manner in which Europeans destroy this 

 tyrant; but the negroes along the African coast attack 

 him merely with a knife ; and, as the shark is obliged 

 to turn before he can seize his opponent, during that 

 action the negro plunges his knife into its sides. Upon 

 the whole, the shark, when living, is a formidable ani- 

 mal ; and, when it is dead, is of very little use, for its 

 flesh can scarcely be digested by the stomach of a ne- 

 gro ; but from the liver there may be extracted about 

 t three or four quarts of oil. Some imaginary virtues 

 have been ascribed to the brain ; and the skin is polish- 

 ed into that substance known by the name of shagreen. 



OF CARTILAGINOUS FLAT FISH OF THE RAY KIND. 



The same rapacity which impels the shark along the 

 surface of the water, actuates the flat-fish to dive to 

 the bottom of the stream : less active and less formi- 

 dable, they creep in security along the bottom, and 

 make a seizure of every thing that comes in their way. 

 The whole of this tribe bear so strong a resemblance to 

 each other, that the distinction between them is diffi- 

 cult to be discerned ; and a stranger to this danger- 

 ous class, imagining he is handling a skate, may be 

 struck numb by the torpedo's petrifying touch ; or he 

 may fancy he has merely caught a thornback, till con- 

 vinced of his mistake by the sting of the fire-flare. 



All fish of the ray kind are broad and cartilaginous, 



