SHARKS 7 



the sun, beating down on the bare rock, made the 

 place like an oven, and the only shade was that 

 thrown from Booby HiH towards evening. 



Shortly before sunset we went on board, fully 

 determined to land the next morning on another 

 part of the rocks. Getting off was, we found, a 

 much more difficult business than landing, but 

 at last it was safely accomplished. Several fishes 

 and one bird were dropped into the water during 

 the process of embarkation, and they were im- 

 mediately taken by sharks, so it was just as well 

 that none of our party slipped into the water. 

 Perhaps a shark is not so dangerous to human 

 beings as it is usually supposed to be. That 

 there are some sharks which will attack a man 

 in the water is, of course, certain, but I think 

 that there are not very many that will do so. 



During two visits made to Saint Paul's Rocks 

 we tried to ascertain the nature of the food of 

 these sharks. We cut open and examined at 

 least thirty of them, but in only one did we find 

 the remains of food — a half-digested fish. Of 

 what, then, does their food consist ? It seems 

 incredible that they can feed entirely on fishes, 

 as anyone will realise who has seen the slow, 

 almost lazy, way in which they take their prey. 

 Judging from the enormous number of sharks 

 round Saint Paul's Rocks, there should be a great 

 supply of food. Of course it is possible that they 

 can exist for a length of time without food. That 



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