86 SQUALIDES. 



extended. With the coolness of a philosopher, the 

 instant he is near enough to be reached, the diver 

 plunges the knife into his vitals. A very ingenious 

 mode, which is practised, says a writer, from whom 

 these observations have been principally extract- 

 ed, is for the diver to carry down with him four or 

 five hard wood sticks, about two feet long, sharpened 

 at both ends. In case he is likely to be disturbed in 

 his search for the oyster, by the visit of this king 

 of sharks, he thrusts one of the sticks between 

 his jaws, as he is in the act of closing them. 

 This props them asunder, and the force with 

 which they are brought to act on the stick, 

 securely pins both ends into the bones, — and 

 away he goes, without the possibility of a remedy. 

 Instances have been known of an Indian, who was 

 so sharply set upon, that he gave away three sticks 

 in succession, before quitting his dangerous post. 



At the Marquesas Islands, where this shark 

 abounds, the natives swim in the midst of them 

 quite fearlessly ; and the only reason why more 

 of them are not devoured, must be the peculiar 

 ease with which they are supplied with large 

 fish. Whenever, however, a native is so un- 

 happy as to be caught by one of them, his 

 associates never exert themselves in the least, 

 to extricate him, because it is a common matter 

 of belief there, that sharks never seize any 



