THE WHITE SHARK. 65 



Dreadful accident. 



muscles that join them to the jaw. Thus, with 

 open jaws, goggling eyes, and large and bristly 

 fins, agitated like the mane of a lion, his whole 

 aspect is an emphatical picture of the fiercest, 

 deepest, and most savage malignity. These 

 creatures are the dread of sailors in all the hot 

 climates, where they constantly attend the ships, 

 in expectation of what may drop overboard, and 

 if, in this case, any of the men have that misfor- 

 tune, they must inevitably perish. 



Mr. Pennant was informed by the master of a 

 Guinea ship, that a rage for suicide prevailed 

 among his slaves, from an opinion entertained 

 by the unfortunate wretches that, after death, 

 they should be restored to their families, friends, 

 and country. To convince them that their bo- 

 dies could never be re-animated, he ordered the 

 corpse of one that was just dead to be tied by 

 the heels to a rope, and lowered into the sea. It 

 was drawn up again as quickly as the united force 

 of the crew could do it; yet, in that very short 

 time, the sharks had devoured every part but the 

 feet, which were secured by the end of the cord. 



Mr. Brook Watson, (an alderman of London) 

 was, in his youth, swimming at a little distance 

 from a ship, when he saw a shark making towards 

 him. Struck with terror at its approach, he im- 

 mediately cried out for assistance. A rope was 

 instantly thrown out; and while the men were 

 in the act of drawing him up the ship's side, the 

 monster darted after him, and, at a single snap, 



VOL. v. NO. 32. i 



