iJlS THE SHARK. 



have favoured their defigns upon the human race, A- 

 long the coaft of Africa^ where the iliarks are numerous, 

 many of the negroes, it is faid, who are obliged to fifh far 

 their fuflenance, are annually devoured by them. The 

 inhabitants of thefe dreary regions are firmly of opinion, 

 that the fliark prefers the flelh of a black man to that of 

 a white; and that in confequence of this unenviable di- 

 llin'ftion, if two perfons of different colours are both in 

 the water together, his choice falls always upon the ne* 

 gro *. 



Whether there be any foundation for this opinion of 

 the negroes, it is of little importance to inquire ; thaE 

 the fhark difcovers an avidity for this fpecies of food, is 

 a faft that has been too often verified by fatal experience, 

 to admit of a doubt. Mr. Fennant relates the ftorj^ of 

 the niafler of a Guinea ftiip, who, finding a rage for fui- 

 cide prevail among his flaves, from a notion the unhappy 

 creatures entertained, that after death they would be re- 

 ftored to their families, their friends, and their country ; 

 to convince them, that at lead fome difgrace (liould at- 

 tend them here, ordered one of their dead bodies to be 

 tied by the heels to a rope, and fo let down into the fea : 

 Though it was drawn up again with great fwiftnefs, yet 

 in that Ihort fpace the iharks had bit off all but the feetf, 

 Goldfmith tells another, occafioned by the fame barbarous 

 trafac, of a woman who was thrown out alive, to deter 

 the flaves from felf murder : When the rope was drawn 

 to pull her up into the vefTel, part of her body appeared 

 in circumflances too fhocking to be mcp.tioned. 



* Idem ibidem. f BiitiHi Zoology. 



