45 
If one can conjecture from the effect a malarial climate, 
especially that of West Africa, has on the human liver, and 
can deduce that the shark is similarly affected—at least the 
unacclimatised itinerant—a good and big find might be 
anticipated. 
It is said of Norway that the carcasses of sharks have 
been of late years brought ashore for the purpose of being 
manufactured into manure or guano. The mode of capture 
there is by means of line and hook baited with seal blubber 
or some other rancid and strong-smelling bait. The annual 
yield from this fishery amounts to from 8000 to 10,000 
barrels of livers, worth 150,000 gulden. The oil of the 
shark obtained by steam heating is said to be extremely 
fine, and is used for purposes of illumination. 
J am reminded here of the remark of one of my boatmen 
at Lagos (a Krooboy), in answer to my questioning him. 
I may preface what Iam going to convey by saying that 
Krooboys view sharks as their natural enemy and legiti- 
mate game. His opinion of this monster was that “he be 
debil man. He good for chop (food). He chop Krooboy, 
and Krooboy chop him ”—mutual obligations of a curious 
nature. 
In support of the value of a shark fin industry I embody 
as follows :— 
“ At Kurrachee a large fishery is practised. Dr. Buist, writing 
in 1850, states that there are 15 large boats, with crews of r2 men 
each, constantly employed in this pursuit ; that the value of the 
fins sent to the market varies from 15,000 to 18,000 rupees: that 
one boat will sometimes capture at a draught as many as one 
hundred sharks of various sizes; and that the total number of 
sharks captured during the year amounts probably to not less 
than 40,000. Large quantities are imported from the African 
coast and the Arabian Gulf, and various parts on the coasts of 
. 
