214 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



within its folds an incarcerated colony — 

 panic stricken, not only by imprisonment, 

 but by the existence of a foreign intruder 

 amongst them. 



Some weeks ago, a young White Shark 

 -was entrapped in a fishing-net several miles 

 off the coast, opposite Workington, Cumber- 

 land. The singular pull of the net, and its 

 violent motion when uplifted, caused con 

 siderable excitement, doubtless. When the 

 load was hauled up, a rough-skinned, long- 

 bodied creature presented itself, surrounded 

 by a mass of gasping haddocks, &c. The 

 fisherman's most incorrigible enemy, com- 

 monly called the " Sea Devil," when observed, 

 soon meets with his proper fate : he is des- 

 patched and thrown overboard — thereby 

 causing one of the most hideous, though at 

 the same time curious fishes, to be seldom 

 seen by landsmen. But in this instance the 

 hardy fellows looked again upon their foe, 

 and finally decided that it no doubt was a 

 " curositie," and they brought the body home. 

 The local fishmongers, pronouncing it useful 

 for their service, the shark was destined to 

 perform a journey inland ; and after a fair 

 exhibition in the country markets, it was 

 purchased, and ultimately consigned to the 

 stuffing process, namely, the embodiment of 

 wire and tow. 



The White Shark often grows to a pon- 

 derous size, and is gigantic in proportions ; 

 which is not the case with the Blue Shark. 

 Specimens have been seen upwards oftwenty 

 feet long, and they seem to visit our northern 

 seas ; but few accounts, if any, appear 

 recorded of the full grown White Shark 

 having been taken on the shores of Britain. 

 I remember another circumstance which 

 occurred to me some years ago, during a 

 cruise on the coast of Norway and Sweden, 

 and which, as it may not be altogether un- 

 interesting, I will here relate. 



The sea was calm, and the waves were 

 unbroken ; but a long, heavy, upheaving 

 swell rolled our craft about under a flapping 

 mainsail, in a breathless sky. We were 

 some miles off the Naze of Norway. Any 

 one who has experienced life at sea, can recal 

 the monotonous hour when a calm prevails. 

 The eye finds relief there, only by occasion- 

 ally gazing at the clear line of division on the 

 horizon, where green and blue elements unite. 

 During those silent hours ofNature'slethargy, 

 the sea-bird seldom in its sluggish flight 

 flaps the air around us j not even near the 

 coast, nor when a fair view of a headland may 

 be seen through the telescope. All around 

 looks peaceful solemnity, and the only moving 

 form seems the ever-rolling swell, which 

 jostles our cutter, and plays with it as the 

 serpent boa would round a toy rabbit. 



In peaceful quiet such as this, a sailor, 

 indolently leaning over the taffrail, discerned 



an object which basked immediately under 

 the vessel's wake. With goggling eyes, he 

 at times looked listlessly about him. Then 

 again would he cast a greedy and devouring 

 glance at the dainty mouthful above him. I 

 may mention that a cutter yacht (one of 

 which I at that time owned) has many 

 facilities for observing monsters who may 

 take a fancy to what seems a large bird above 

 them ; for as the vessel generally sits very 

 low in the water at the stern, your propin- 

 quity to an object near the water's surface 

 is very close when that object is nearly at 

 the tail of the ship. The man on the watch 

 very quietly withdrew, and reported that "a 

 shark was astern of us." The intelligence 

 rapidly flew through the ship, and every one 

 was alive in looking over the stores in search 

 of barbs and harpoons. 



A joint of mutton, and strong hook 

 attached, were then lowered by means of a 

 rope of sufficient length ; but our friend 

 glided under us, and we observed that fresh 

 meat, only a few days before killed at 

 Stavanger, could not tempt him. We tried 

 scarlet-colored cloth ; this too was useless, 

 and could not fascinate the fish ; for he soon 

 left us, and many of the seamen believed 

 that he had paid a visit to another ship some- 

 where in the oiling. We computed this 

 specimen to be about twenty feet long, and 

 it seemed to me to be between four and five 

 feet across the head. 



One man there was on board pleased with 

 this hasty termination to our pleasures, and 

 that was " a hand " (to use a common sea- 

 phrase) who had been seriously ill, and was 

 several weeks slung in his hammock, on the 

 sick-list. Nearly all sailors possess supersti- 

 tious notions ; this poor fellow was not an 

 exception, for his spirits rallied after the de- 

 parture of a visitor who wanders through the 

 pathless seas — a tyrant of his element : — 



The dread of all who in the breeze 



Of tropic climes enjoy its cool 

 Life-giving air — soft listless ease, 



The rock-formed bath, or swimming pool. 

 Perchance death comes, with open jaws, 

 A victim bids adieu to shores 

 How much more blest ! sad havoc's done, 

 One man is gone — the sea's alone I 



Keswich. C W. R. 



A HINT ON WOOING. 



Some beauties are like the convolvulus, which 

 only shows its flower when the sun shines ; but 

 the sun of beauty is a gas-lustre. Should'st thou 

 ever fall in love, woo not thy fair one with costly 

 gifts, nor by taking her to concerts, balls, theatres, 

 promenades, and other revelries, lest thou thereby 

 give her a distaste for domestic life ; remember 

 that the lap-dog, which has been accustomed to 

 luxurious feeding, despises porridge and milk. 



