FISHES. 4)93 



Such is the frightful rapacity of this animal ; nothing that ha< 

 life is rejected. But it seems to have a peculiar enmity to man ; 

 when once it has tasted human flesh, it never desists from haunt 

 ing those places where it expects the return of its prey. It is 

 even asserted, that along the coasts of Africa, where these ani- 

 mals are found in great abundance, numbers of the negroes, who 

 are obliged to frequent the waters, a«-e seized and devoured by 

 them every year. The people of these coasts are firmly of 

 opinion, that the shark loves the black man's flesh in preference 

 to the white, and that when men of difl!'erent colours are in the 

 water together, it always makes choice of the former. 



However this be, men of all colours are equally afraid ol 

 this animal, and have contrived difl^erent methods to destroy him. 

 In general, they derive their success from the shark's own rapa 

 city. The usual method of our sailors to take him, is by baiting 

 a great hook %vith s>»piece of beef or pork, which is thrown out 

 into the sea by a strong cord, strengthened near the hook with an 

 iron chain. Without this precaution, the shark would quickly 

 bite the cord in two, and thus set himself free. It is no un- 

 pleasant amusement to observe this voracious animal coming up 

 to survey the bait, particularly when not pressed by hunger. 

 He approaches it, examines it, swims round it, seems for a 

 while to neglect it, perhaps apprehensive of the cord and chain ; 

 he quits it for a little ; but his appetite pressing, he returns 

 again ; appears preparing to devour it, but quits it once more. 

 When the sailors have sufficiently diverted themselves with his 

 dilferent evolutions, they then make a pretence, by drawing the 

 rope, as if intending to take the bait away : it is then that the 



ree, dated June 8t1i, ISli. " A boat belonging to tlic Ingles came up here thai 

 morning for water, and anchored in about one and a half fathom : a pool 

 fi'llow belonging to her, attempted to swim on shore ; but, horrid to relate, 

 scarcely had he plunged into the water, when he was attacked by two larj>o 

 voracious sharks, who stripped the flesh from his legs and thighs. We 

 nastened to his relief, and dragged the unhappy man to the shore, when he 

 instantly expired. 1 never before beheld such a spectacle." 



We happen to know an old sailor in the suburbs of Ghisgow, who lost one 

 of his legs by the bite of a shark. He had been bathing (in what sea we for- 

 l^et) when suddenly he felt a numbness in his limb, and would have sunk 

 hut for the a.ssistance of his comrades. On being lilted aboard, his limb was 

 found to be gone, and so sudden and dexterous had the amputation Ium-u, 

 that it wa> unaccompanied by any innnediate pain, lioyoud the nunitmeag 

 adverted to. 



9i». 



