THE WHITE SHARK. 209 



themselves into the water, with knives in their hands, 

 and hastened to their defence : but too often all their 

 dexterity and precaution have been of no avail. 



We are told that, in the reign of queen Anne, a 

 merchant ship arrived at Barbadoes from England, 

 some of the men of which were one day bathing in 

 the sea, when a large Shark appeared, and sprung 

 forwards directly at them. A person from the ship 

 called out to warn them of their danger ; on which 

 they all immediately swam to the vessel, and arrived 

 in perfect safety, except one poor fellow who was 

 cut in two by the Shark almost within reach of the 

 oars. A comrade and most intimate friend of the 

 unfortunate victim, when he observed the severed 

 trunk of his companion, was seized with a degree 

 of horror that words cannot describe. The insa- 

 tiable Shark was seen traversing; the bloody surface 

 in search of the remainder of his prey, when the 

 brave youth plunged into the water, determining 

 either to make the Shark disgorge, or to be buried 

 himself in the same grave. He held in his hand a 

 long and sharp-pointed knife, and the rapacious 

 animal pushed furiously towards him: he had turned 

 on his side, and opened his enormous jaws, in order 

 to seize him, when the youth, diving dexterously 

 under, seized him with his left hand somewhere be- 

 low the upper fins, and stabbed him several times in 

 the belly. The Shark, enraged with pain and 

 streaming with blood, plunged in all directions in 

 order to disengage himself from his enemy. The 

 crews of the surrounding vessels saw that the com- 

 bat was decided ; but they were ignorant which 



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