THE SHARK. 63 



Anecdote by Dr. Goldsmith. 



of which might be highly dangerous. And such 

 is the degree of vitality, or strength of the vital 

 principle in the shark, that he is killed with more 

 difficulty than almost any other animal in 'the 

 world ; it moves about long after the head is cut 

 off, and even when cut in pieces, the muscles still 

 preserve their motion, and vibrate for minutes 

 after being separated from the body. 



We are told by Dr. Goldsmith, that a Guinea 

 captain was, by stress of weather, driven into the 

 harbour of Belfast, in Ireland, with a lading of 

 very sickly slaves, who took every opportunity 

 to throw themselves overboard, when brought 

 upon deck, as is usual, for the benefit of the fresh 

 air. The captain perceiving among others, a 

 woman slave attempting to drown herself, pitched 

 upon her as a proper example for the rest. As 

 he supposed that they did not know the terrors 

 attending death, he ordered the woman to be 

 tied with a rope under the arm-pits, and so let 

 her down into the water. When the poor crea- 

 ture was thus plunged in, and about half-way 

 down, she was heard to give a terrible shriek, 

 which at first was ascribed to her fears of drown- 

 ing; but soon after, the water appearing red all 

 around her, she was drawn up, and it was found 

 that a shark, (but of what species is not ascer- 

 tained) which had followed the ship, had bitten 

 her off from the middle. 



