342 Reminiscences of 



from New Orleans to Boston. We were becalmed, 

 and a large shark made himself at home swimming 

 slowly about the ship, which excited a strong desire 

 in my mind for his capture, and I got out the hook 

 rig which the ship had, fastened to a long rope. I soon 

 had the shark on, and set the large shark hook well 

 into his jaw. He was altogether too large for hoist- 

 ing aboard, as his weight would svirely tear out the 

 hook. He would, after being hooked, swim under 

 and about the ship, but did not exhibit any remark- 

 able ferocity or fighting qualities, and would submit, 

 with the aid of several of the crew, to being hauled 

 up along-side the ship, but that was all that could 

 possibly be accomplished with him. The captain — 

 friendly disposed — got out his long shark and por- 

 poise harpoon, which had a long iron shank of eight 

 or nine feet in length. To the end of the harpoon 

 a stout rope was attached. I can see Captain Homer 

 in full remembrance now — after the many years 

 which have elapsed— standing on the bulwark of 

 the ship's side as he cast the harpoon deep into the 

 shark, which had quieted down considerably, and 

 lay supinely along-side. The penetration of the har- 

 poon, complete as it was, seemed to affect the coarse 

 sensibilities of the shark, and he gave such a wrench- 

 ing roll-over of his body, the captain meantime hold- 

 ing on the extended wooden handle of the harpoon iron, 

 to which a rope was attached, it bent over the iron 

 part, so that it became a gigantic hook, as it were, 

 of the harpoon through the shark's body. The 

 shark then made a run, but, with half a dozen men 

 holding both the hook and harpoon ropes, he was 

 soon brought along-side. A sure prize he was, and 



