PISCES—SHARK. 723 
Still, however, the depredations he commits are frequent and formidable. 
The shark is the dread of sailors in all hot climates, where, like a greedy 
roboer, he attends the ships, in expectation of what may drop overboard. 
A man who unfortunately falls into the sea at such a time is sure to perish. 
The usual method by which sailors take the shark, is by baiting a great 
hook with a 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 unpleasant 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 divert- 
ed themselves with his different evolutions, they then make a pretence, by 
drawing the rope, as if intending to take the bait away; it is then that the 
glutton’s hunger excites him; he darts at the bait, and swallows it, hook 
and all. Sometimes, however, he does not so entirely gorge the whole, 
but that he once more gets free; yet even then, though wounded and bleed- 
mg with the hook, he will again pursue the bait until he is taken. When 
he finds the hook lodged in his maw, his utmost efforts are then excited, 
but in vain, to get free; he tries with his teeth to cut the chain; he pulls 
with all his force to break the line; he almost seems to turn his stomacn 
inside out, to disgorge the hook; in this manner he continues his formidable 
though fruitless efforts; till, quite spent, he suffers his head to be drawn 
above water, and the sailors, confining his tail by a noose, in this manner 
draw him on ship-board, and despatch him. This is done by beating him 
on the head till he dies; yet even that is not effected without difficulty and 
danger ; the enormous creature, terrible even in the agonies of death, still 
struggles with his destroyers; nor is there an animal in the world that is 
harder to be killed. Even when cut in pieces, the muscles still preserve 
their motion, and vibrate for some minutes after being separated from the 
body. Another method of taking him, is by striking a barbed instrument, 
ealled a fizgig, into his body, as he brushes along by the side of the ship. 
As soon as he is taken up, to prevent his flouncing, they cut off the tail with 
an axe, with the utmost expedition. 
This is the manner in which Europeans destroy the shark; but some 
of the negroes along the African coast take a bolder and more dangerous 
method to combat their terrible enemy. Armed with nothing more than a 
knife, the negro plunges into the water, where he sees the shark watching 
for his prey, and boldly swims forward to meet him. Though the great 
animal does not come to provoke the combat, he does not avoid it, and 
suffers the man to approach him; but, just as he turns upon his side te 
seize the aggressor, the negra watches the opportunity, plunges his knife 
